Play For Me, Jack
by cjfreeman
Summary: Jack is a violinist in the West Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Bunny is a guest conductor from Australia. After an extremely awkward introduction, Jack tries his hardest to concentrate on getting the higher-ups to notice him whilst trying not to think about how attractive Bunny is. Jackrabbit. NSFW chapter 11 onwards.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello. Nice to meet you. This is my first jump into a new fandom's fanfiction and I gotta say I'm a little nervous. It's not my first time writing fanfics but it is my first RotG story. I hope I don't screw up too badly!**

**Anyway, I've looked around but I don't think anyone's had this idea for a fic yet. Having said that there definitely seems to be a kind of undercurrent idea out there that it would be so cool for Jack to play the violin. Knowing that, and reading a few fics where Jack is kinda arty and loving the concept, and then reading a great deal of the mountain of jackrabbit available and loving that even more, one thing led to another and bippity-boppity-boo, here we are.**

**More notes at the end so I don't bore you before I've even started. One more thing though, I think I'll put a little glossary of musical terms at the end that those who aren't so familiar with them might find useful. I'll put an asterisk (*) after words I think might need an explanation.**

**FAIR WARNING: I intend to eventually make this NSFW. Not explicitly so but still, sexy fun time between an anthropomorphised bunny and a 318 year old dead kid is probably not something you want other people to casually glance at. Not that that's the canon used for the story but it is the premise all the same.**

**I hope you all like it!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 1**

The first day back was always better than those that followed it. Playing first violin in the West Pennsylvania Philharmonic was hell when rehearsals really got underway. The first day back after the holidays was nice though as nothing too big was really expected of anyone. It was a time when the players could just face the music put in front of them and not care about getting it right.

Least of all Jack who happily strode into the concert hall with his case in his hand and made his way across the stage to his seat several desks* back in the first violins. He'd enjoyed his Christmas break in his hometown of Burgess, PA but was happy to be back at work. He loved his job; it was all he'd ever really wanted to do. Well, that wasn't entirely true. He'd always figured that if he was going to pursue playing the violin professionally then he would teach. That's what he'd done throughout high school and college to earn some cash on the side and he'd never have figured he'd be offered an audition for the West Pennsylvania Philharmonic. He figured it would be even less likely he'd be given a place but, here he was, about to begin his fourth season.

Sitting down, he opened his case on his lap and lifted out his violin before fixing the shoulder rest and then pulling out his bow. As he began to rosin* it up his desk partner bounded up and took her seat next to him before merrily chirping a loud "Hey, Jack!"

"Hey, Tooth" he replied before leaning across to receive a hug from the overenthusiastic girl next to him. She had been Jack's best friend ever since they had met at music college and they both figured it was the best luck ever to have gained places in the same orchestra after graduating. She had always been extremely cheery and never failed to dazzle with her wardrobe. Even now she was wearing her favourite colours of turquoise, yellow and purple; a combination that on paper sounded ghastly but somehow she just seemed to make work.

"How was your break?" Jack asked her as she too began to open her case.

"Oh, same as always" she said with a smile, "surrounded by hoards of family and never a spare moment to myself. I like it though"

"Of course" Jack smiled cockily as he remembered his own experiences with Tooth's family. 'Hoards of family' was perhaps the understatement of the century.

"How was yours?" the turquoise-clad girl asked.

"Okay. I didn't really get much spare time either. Kids' parents hear I'm coming back to town and all of a sudden they start booking them in for extra lessons while I'm there"

"Ohhh!" Tooth cooed, "You loved it though, right? I mean, you love teaching"

"Yeah, but it would have been nice to spend more time with my sister. You know, she's graduating this summer."

"She is?! Oh my gosh! I can't believe it. Where does the time go?"

"Beats me" Jack said as he looked up to the stand in front of him and read the title of the music resting there. He closed his eyes and groaned when he saw what it was and remembered how he'd felt when he'd first heard they'd be playing that this season.

"What is it?" Tooth asked and then looked at the music when Jack pointed at it. She, on the other hand, lit up as she saw it and squealed with excitement. "I love Swan Lake!" she exclaimed, "It's so beautiful! And it means we get to work with the Pittsburgh Ballet!"

Jack let his head flop back over his chair and groaned out loud. He, like pretty much every professional violinist in the world, had played the work dozens of times before and didn't relish the thought of going through the same old hell of rehearsal for something he'd done to death.

"What's wrong?" Tooth asked as she saw him slump.

"Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful but…I've done it a million times"

"So have I"

"Yeah, but you love it so you won't get bored"

"You won't get bored either!"

"I definitely will"

"But…it's beautiful."

"No. The solo parts are beautiful. The parts that you and me never get to play"

He must have spoken loudly as the concertmaster*, a dumpy but cheery guy called Sanderson Mansnoozie, turned around and smiled sympathetically at Jack. Jack smiled back.

"Hey, Sandy. You must be pretty happy with this", he said gesturing towards the score*. He received a happy nod in return from Sandy before he turned away and concentrated on the music. Sandy wasn't much for talking.

"Don't feel too bad, Jack" Tooth said, "it's still good"

"Yeah, but why can't we play something a little more out there? Something hard? Like some Stravinsky or something?"

"We played the Firebird last season. Wasn't that enough?"

Jack smiled as he remembered the piece. It was one of the orchestra manager's favourites. North - as everyone called him - was a big, bearded Russian man who was a great fan of composers from his homeland and so it was no surprise he'd chosen Tchaikovsky as their collaboration with the Pittsburgh Ballet this season. He had chosen the Firebird to do with a different ballet company last season much to everyone's delight. It was a huge, majestic piece and one that Jack had been eager to sink his teeth into. Needless to say it had gone down very well with their audiences and they were well reviewed for their performance.

"That was fun. I loved that because it was a challenge. This is…eh"

"Eh?"

"Eh"

Tooth just smiled and lifted her violin to take a crack at some of the trickier passages on the first page. Jack lifted his own and began to lazily tune it, not really putting any effort into making sure he got the pitches right. It seemed these next few weeks were just going to suck. He loved a challenge and had been thrilled with his job for delivering just that up until this point. He supposed it had to happen sooner or later though and as he resigned to the fact that there was nothing he could do about it he looked around the orchestra and picked out the faces of players he was friendly with.

Jack was quite popular within the group. He'd been on tour twice with this orchestra now and he'd certainly provided the comic relief on the bus as they had criss-crossed their way around the country. He was quite the prankster in their downtime and had succeeded in becoming a really popular guy. It made him happy to have fitted in so well although he kinda wished it could have been for his playing. No one had really noticed him for that. It wasn't that he wasn't good. He was. In fact, he was fantastic. Fantastic, though, was average in this orchestra and despite his best efforts to be noticed, he had neither been there long enough nor had a real opportunity to try and impress the higher-ups. After a while it had started to get to him and left him feeling as if no one really believed in him. Tooth did, and a few other players did too. Still, they were hoping to catch a break just as much as he and, with a sigh, Jack sighed and began to fumble in the pocket of his blue hoodie for a stick of gum he hoped was still in there.

Just as he found it and placed in his mouth, the doors at the side of the auditorium swung open and in came several figures that, through the shadows, Jack identified as the management.

_"Here it comes"_ he thought as he awaited the generic 'welcome back, everybody' speech they got at the start of every season and looked away from the group ascending the steps to the stage, disinterested in listening to the upcoming works planned for them. Clandestinely he pulled out his phone and began to play with it as North, the manager, stepped in front of the gaggle of creatives assembled in front of the now hushing orchestra.

"Welcome back, everybody" he boomed in his thick Russian accent, "I hope you all have good holidays. It is nice to see you all here ready to begin rehearsals for Swan Lake, which, as you all know is the highlight of this season's programme"

The huge man continued to speak powerfully to the orchestra as Jack just barely paid attention. The next few minutes or so were dominated with the season's outline and the other pieces they would be playing as well as rehearsal schedules and information about sectionals and blah blah blah. It was all stuff they had heard before and as such Jack really wasn't interested.

All that changed though when his attention was grasped by North's next announcement.

"…And finally, is time for me to introduce our new conductor"

Suddenly Jack remembered something he'd heard last season about some conductor visiting from Australia that would be in charge this spring. He hadn't paid much attention to the details and found that he really didn't know anything apart from the fact that they were getting someone new. Sitting up, he turned his head to look through the group gathered in front of them and suddenly fixed his eyes onto the tall, statuesque figure who stepped up next to North.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to E. Aster Bunnymund" said the bearded Russian, "Aster comes to us from Melbourne where he has been assistant conductor for Melbourne Philharmonic for past two years"

Jack just stared. He really wished he'd paid attention before he'd left for the holidays as to who this guy was. He was gorgeous. No, not just gorgeous, smoking hot! Conductors were usually middle-aged, fat or bookish and he had never expected a conductor could look as good as this guy did. He was tall, tanned and had features that looked as if they have been lifted straight off of a roman statue. Jack was frozen looking at him. He was quite literally one of the hottest guys Jack had ever seen and as the moments ticked by whilst North prattled on about this god standing next to him Jack found he had forgotten to breathe.

In a sudden realization he took in a sharp, deep breath and with it inhaled his gum lodging it in the back of his throat cutting off his air. For the first few seconds or so he just sat there trying to come to terms with the fact that he couldn't breath and then, as he started to panic, drew the attention of every last person in the room as he began making loud, gagging, choking noises. Tooth gasped as she saw him grasp at his throat and quickly grabbed his violin just as she saw it slipping from his lap as he jumped up.

"Oh my gosh! Somebody do something!" the turquoise girl pleaded as she watched her friend desperately try to draw breath. Jack had completely forgotten about everything and was now solely focused on trying not to die from asphyxiation. A desperate wish he now realised he was starting to lose and grabbed the chair behind him to steady himself against his shaky legs.

In an instant his attention was wrenched from the desire not to die as a pair of extremely well sculpted arms wrapped around his waist and clamped down hard around him. He barely had time to realize what was going on as the arms squeezed him again and again and again and finally popped the gum free from his throat and sent is sailing through the air towards the brass section where it landed and stuck to one player's French horn.

All eyes were upon Jack as he desperately sucked in air to replenish his starved lungs. He gripped his chair hard as he struggled to stand straight and quickly realized that the hands of his saviour were still resting on his waist.

Without waiting he turned around and looked straight up into the deep, green eyes of the same gorgeous man he had been gawking at just a few moments before. He startled as he once again found himself short of breath and continued to just stare and pant softly as the man looked back at him whilst smiling smugly.

"G'day" he said in a strong Australian accent with his deep, sexy voice. "Y'alright?"

Jack was still panting and only managed to breath out an airy "Yeah…thanks"

"No worries" the Australian said with the same smile before holding out his hand, "Aster. But everyone calls me Bunny"

In any other situation Jack would have thought of some smart remark to make after hearing that. Upon reflection, though, he figured it wouldn't be nice to potentially insult the guy who had just saved his life. Moreover, he quickly began to realize that everyone was still staring at him and without delay the crushing weight of sheer mortification started to descend upon him.

His attention was briefly diverted as North looked around the immensely attractive Bunny and said, "Jack. Are you okay?"

The white-haired guy gulped hard and slowly sunk into his seat with a quiet, "Yeah, sure". Looking up he met the eyes of Bunny again who gave him a smirk before turning and going back to where he was.

Jack didn't hear the rest of North's introduction. He had quite simply never been this embarrassed in his life. He had just choked on gum in front of every last one of his colleagues and, more importantly, perhaps the hottest guy he had ever seen. On top of that, it took that very guy to come to his rescue and now he just felt like a complete and total ass. Even through all of that, though, the memory and image of Bunny's perfect arms wrapped around him had hijacked his mind and was now playing havoc with his imagination. They were simply amazing and they stirred Jack in a way he knew he had no business in feeling at that particular moment. Truly they were marvellous and as he peeked up to steal a glance at them once again he accidentally caught the eyes of the dashing Australian.

Perfect. Not only had he completely embarrassed himself in front of everyone but he had just been caught checking out his new superior. This was going to be, without a doubt, the longest day of his life. More to the point, how was he ever going to be able to speak to him again without wanting the ground to swallow him up?

_"Oh, God! Please just kill me now!" _he thought

**Glossary:**

Concertmaster: The violinist who sits directly to the conductor's left and is essentially the next in command for the entire orchestra. This player is in charge of the first violins and is the one who gets all the solos if there is no featured or guest soloist for a performance. Also known as the Leader outside the US.

Desk: The fancy word for a music stand and it's place within a section, e.g. first desk it at the front, second desk behind that, etc.

Rosin: A dried tree resin rubbed on the hair of a violin's bow. This is the stuff that causes the bow to make the string vibrate when drawn across it.

Score: The musical work in it's entirety, i.e. every piece of music from a particular piece, e.g. Swan Lake isn't just one continuous piece of music but a series of pieces (albeit all in the same style).

**Well, there it is. First chapter done and I'm already wondering if I've made a terrible mistake. I really hope it's not awful.**

**Anyway, a few extra things to note. I usually much prefer canon stories where not only are we fixed firmly within the RotG universe as it was depicted in the movie but also where the characters are depicted as such too, i.e. Jack is a 318 year-old dead guy and Bunny is a bunny. Still, in order to make this story work he had to be human and so…yeah. Also, I did my internet research and Burgess is said to somewhere in western Pennsylvania. Knowing that, I have tried to centre this story as occurring in Pittsburgh rather than make up a fictional city. Leading on from that I should ask that you please ignore any serious inaccuracies I may make regarding the real life Pittsburgh. Also, I just plucked names out of the air for the orchestras and even though some may be those of real orchestras I am not basing anything I write on anything to do with their real life versions. Again, I pull the inaccuracy waiver card and beg that anyone that knows better will ignore my malfeasance (that's a fun word!). **

**Please let me know what you think. Should I have even attempted to write in this fandom? Should I carry on or stop now and not inflict upon the world any more of my senseless drivelling? Reviews are gold, people!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh, my, effing, G! What a response! Thank you to everyone who read and favourited, and a super special firework display thank you to all those who reviewed. I was so worried that this was going to be a catastrophe and I'm so glad you all showed me I was wrong! I promise I'll try to make this a good read!**

**Sorry about the title. I was struggling to come up with something and I didn't want to leave it blank while I thought of something else. Too late to rename now! Also, please let me know if my writing starts to get a little verbose. I always seem to fall into that trap but I'll try my hardest not to do it this time.**

**Okay then, same deal as before. An asterisk (*) marks a word I think might need clarification and is in the glossary.**

**Play for me, Jack**

**Chapter 2**

There was still snow on the ground in the streets not too far outside downtown. It made everything feel somewhat inhibited as snow always does. Everywhere you looked things seemed to be either running slower or were simply less busy. Be it stores, roads or sidewalks, there were fewer people outside and the nip in the air frosted up windows and made the indoors a very inviting place to be.

None could testify to this more than Jack who remained under the covers as his alarm shrieked at him to get up. After the previous day he never wanted to go outside again and he had no idea how he was going to face everyone when he went to work. Least of all, that guy. That heavenly, gorgeous, unfathomably hot guy who was not only his new boss but in front of whom he had royally embarrassed himself to the point of silently pleading for death.

As the moments ticked by he lay there trying not to remember how the rest of the day had gone but, as it always does when one is mortified, he couldn't stop his mind from going over every excruciating second that had followed his initial faux pas.

_The previous day…_

Finally, the initial speeches had subsided and they got into a little playing. As they had all expected, it was just a run through to familiarize everyone with the score although being professional musicians they all pretty much knew it inside out. It was a standard work to be found in any orchestra's repertoire – especially one that regularly played for ballet companies – and it didn't take long for them to get deep into it.

Jack just kept his head down and tried to mitigate the burning heat in his cheeks that had been there since he'd realized he'd made a complete moron of himself in front of everyone. Tooth had been sympathetic as she'd handed him back his violin but it was no use. There was no way he was going to be able to laugh this one off. It was just too embarrassing.

Bunny hadn't taken the baton* at first and had simply taken a seat behind one of the associate conductors as they led the orchestra through the first few pages. The conductor in question was a tall, lithe, scary-looking British man with a personality to match that was somewhere between a suave, silky sophisticate and an evil genius. He had sharp, piercing eyes but with slim, tapered features that were not unattractive in their own terrifying way. In any case, Jack had always found Pitch Black unsettling. That was his name, and Jack hadn't missed an opportunity in the past to make fun of it with other members of the orchestra. Whenever he'd had sectionals* or private rehearsals with him he'd always made him feel wary and just a little bit nervous. He was mean with his words and very strict. He didn't allow for any slacking and was quick to pick up on even the slightest thing that he did wrong. That being said, when he wanted something he switched on his spine-chilling brand of charm that managed to win some people over but always gave jack the heebie-jeebies.

Thankfully, private rehearsals for Jack were rare as he never had solos to practice. That in itself, though, was a little saddening. It simply was the way it was. Any solos went to the concertmaster or a guest player and Jack didn't mind that truth too much. Those were the rules in any orchestra and he was still happy to play. It would be nice to be recognized though, even just once.

All of that, though, was the farthest thing he was thinking of now as he just tried to get through the day. He did his best to concentrate on the music as they played but couldn't help himself from occasionally flicking his eyes over to watch the Australian beauty sitting nearby. It only served to make him feel even more like an ass as he was caught more than once in doing so by meeting the Aussie's gaze.

_"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!" _Jack grimaced in his head as he felt a huge black hole open up in his stomach. How could he possibly be making it all so much worse for himself?

Bunny just continued to smirk as he saw the slim boy glancing at him. He was pretty cute. Must have been around 24 or so but still had very young, sort of pretty features. He chuckled to himself when he thought of using the word 'pretty' to describe the guy. He wasn't by any means girly, buy still kind of boyish. He looked very masterful as he played and the white of his skin contrasted greatly with the dark wood of his violin. His white hair contrasted even more and bunny marvelled as he didn't think he'd ever seen anyone with hair as light as Jack. He seemed quite a timid thing to Bunny and he hoped he could get to know him a little better as time went on. It wouldn't be long before he found out how wrong he was.

That was the way it went on until lunch and then through the afternoon until about 3PM when they were released. Jack made a beeline for the exit making tooth stumble and trip as she hurriedly tried to follow him. He had to find some corner to crawl into and hide away from the world. That quickly took the form of the Starbucks across the street and Jack buried himself in a booth to feel sorry for himself while Tooth got the coffee.

Flittering over from the counter with her case over her shoulder she placed her chai and his frappucino on the table, moved his case which he'd tossed onto the seat upon which he wasn't lying curled up in a ball with his face buried under his arm, and sat down. Leaning to the side and ducking her own head under the table to see his across from her, she said "Come on. Today wasn't that bad"

"Not that bad?" Jack exclaimed, "I nearly choked to death and had to be rescued by the new boss"

"Visiting boss"

"Foreign artist who now thinks I'm a complete idiot"

"You don't know that" Tooth said as she sat back up and blew on her chai.

"Oh, come on! How could he not?"

"He doesn't even know you. He wouldn't make assumptions"

Jack leant up to raise an eyebrow at her, "You sure about that?" Tooth just smiled, shrugged and sipped her tea. Jack grabbed his blended ice drink and went back under the table hoping the calorie-laden beverage would perk him up.

"You sure you want that? It's freezing outside. Wouldn't you rather have something hot?"

"Nah, I don't really feel the cold" Jack said as he sipped the drink, "You want some?"

"No way. Too much sugar. It'll rot your teeth"

"Right now I don't care. I just wanna crawl into a hole"

"Jack, what's up? Usually you'd just laugh something like this off. Why are you so hung up on it? Tooth asked kindly

Jack slowly sat up and looked down at the table. He didn't really want to admit to her that he found the new conductor amazingly hot and was a little dismayed that now he wouldn't be able to introduce himself properly. More to the point, it now meant that he wouldn't be noticed for his playing. He'd be remembered as the guy to whom he'd had to give the Heimlich on his first day and that would definitely cloud any new impression he got from him. It now hit home hard with Jack that you only get one first impression and he'd screwed his up badly. Cataclysmically. How could he possibly be respected as a player now? To bunny, he was surely the orchestra goof.

Jack suddenly realized he'd left Tooth hanging and blurted, "Uh…I, uh…I just wish I hadn't made myself look stupid in front of him."

"People choke. Accidents happen. Don't beat yourself up."

"Yeah…" Jack sighed, "I still don't know how I'm gonna walk in there tomorrow though"

"You'll feel better by then" she said cheerily, "You should just do something to take your mind off of it. Are you giving any lessons tonight?"

"None tonight, thank God. A couple tomorrow after work, then again on Thursday and then some at the weekend in Burgess"

"How's that boy coming along? What's his name? Jared?"

"Jamie" Jack said, smiling as he thought of his student, "He's doing really great. He's really enthusiastic and his playing is really coming along. There's nothing like teaching a kid that actually wants to learn"

"I know what you mean. I wish I had a good one like him"

"Don't you?"

"Kinda. But you know how it is. Any kid learning the violin takes about five years before they actually sound…"

"Tuneful?"

"I was going to say good, but sure, tuneful"

Jack chuckled. He was glad not to be thinking about his earlier catastrophe. As time went on and they talked some more Jack soon forgot how stupid he had been feeling. He quickly resumed his usual, mischievous nature and became so absorbed in having a good time that he didn't even notice Bunny from the window crossing the street and heading through the door. It wasn't until he got up to the cashier that Jack noticed the distinct, flower-like markings on the shoulders of his bluish jacket he'd seen earlier and stopped mid-sentence to gawp.

Tooth turned her head when she saw him become so absorbed with something and smiled when she saw her new boss.

"Oh my gosh! Let's go say hi!"

Jack shot her a terrified glare, "Are you kidding?! I can't see him"

It was too late though. Just as Jack looked back to him, Bunny walked along the counter to wait for his coffee and noticed the cute boy from the first violins he'd seen peeking at him earlier on. With his trademark smirk, he gestured a hello to the pair and grabbed his drink before ambling over to them. The few seconds that passed as he crossed the store were perhaps the longest in Jack's life and he had to fight the urge to slide down onto the floor instead of facing the gorgeous man.

"Hi there. Glad to see you're still alive" Bunny said in his awesome accent that Jack couldn't deny he loved. He then turned to Tooth, "Hi" he said extending a hand, "Bunny"

"Hello" Tooth chimed as she took his hand, "it's so nice to meet you in person instead of as a collective mass. I'm Tooth"

"Tooth? Is that a nickname?"

"Uh…well, it's a long story" she said with a smile. "I expect it's the same with 'Bunny'"

"Yeah" he said with a smile.

"How are you liking Pittsburgh?"

"It's much colder than home but it's nice. And the orchestra seems great"

"Oh, I bet we were terrible today. Wait 'til things really get going. I don't think you'll be disappointed"

"I'm sure I won't be"

"So, Bunny, me and Jack were just talking about you"

"You were?" Bunny said looking at Jack and giving him a coy look of intrigue that Jack didn't know what to make of, let alone respond to.

"Yeah" chimed Tooth, "we're really looking forward to you taking charge tomorrow. It's not often we get a conductor coming all the way from Australia. In fact, I think this is the first time"

"Really? Well, I'll try not to disappoint you"

"Oh, I'm, sure you won't. Jack's already very pleased with you"

Jack shot daggers at her as soon as he heard that and had to force himself to look normal as he felt Bunny's eyes return to him.

"Heh heh. Well, I'm glad I was around to help. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have gone down well to let one of my players choke to death on my first day"

"Yeah…thanks" Jack grumbled trying his hardest not to sound rude as he fought the redness that begged to show again in his cheeks. "I…uh, I really appreciate it"

Bunny smiled, "Anytime, mate. Just don't make it a regular occurrence"

"I won't" Jack said feigning a smile, "Still, it's good to know you'll be around to squeeze me again"

_"Aw shit!" _Jack shouted in his head as he screwed his eyes shut. That could not have come out any worse.

"No! I mean! I just-"

Bunny laughed, "It's alright, mate. I got what you meant"

Jack groaned internally as he looked over to Tooth who was fighting against roaring with laughter. Jack did his best to disguise kicking her under the table as reshuffling himself in his seat.

"Alright, guys, it was good to meet ya. Tooth, a pleasure" he said extending his hand to her again which she shook and then turned to Jack to offer the same. Jack tentatively took his hand and tried not to swoon just a little as he felt the conductor's smooth but firm skin against his. It wasn't so hard to do as he was now, of course, at rock bottom.

"See you guys tomorrow" Bunny said as he began to leave, "Oh, and Jack, don't bring any gum in the morning"

Tooth waved as he left the store and turned back to Jack excitedly.

"He's so nice!" she cheeped as she turned back to Jack who now had his forehead planted firmly on the table in front of her. Tooth just couldn't help but laugh as Jack groaned and begged for the ground to swallow him up. Why couldn't he help making himself look like a complete and utter imbecile in front of that man? That man, who just then, had looked even hotter than earlier.

"God damn it…" Jack muttered as Tooth simply carried on laughing.

_Back to present…_

Jack finally pushed himself out of bed and smashed the alarm with his fist to shut it up. He couldn't stay there all day, even though he wanted to. He wanted to take advantage of the late start they had today and get some practice in. Not that it would make any difference, especially now since his chances for recognition were, he assumed, in tatters. Oh well, roll on next season.

After stepping out of the shower and getting dressed, Jack got out his violin and placed his music on the stand that stood near the window of the small living room of his tiny apartment. He was not too far outside downtown here and, even though it was small, the place was fine for him. He and Tooth had considered living together but Jack liked having his own space. At least this way he didn't have to worry about leaving his stuff everywhere. Tooth's apartment was the epitome of tidiness and he'd hate for something like that to come between them. Being alone did render him lonely from time to time though. Still, a friend was never too far away.

Turning the pages of the score, Jack made for the parts he knew they'd be practicing that day. Something stopped him when he happened upon the Act 1 Pas de Deux though as he knew it to be one of the most beautiful solos of the entire piece. He'd played it countless times on his own or during lessons back in college but had never had the chance to play it in concert. He remembered Tooth saying yesterday how beautiful the music was and he couldn't argue. This particular solo had to be one of the most beautiful pieces ever written for the violin and he had to admit he liked it.

Feeling sentimental, he raised his violin and went to give it a go. Memories of learning it came flooding back as he played and since he knew it all too well he sounded pretty good. It was technically challenging and took a lot of effort to make it sound so perfectly fluid. That was partly what he loved so much about it. That, and its sheer beauty. Still, he was very aware that he would not be the one revered for making it sound so good when the performance finally rolled around and that didn't leave him feeling too happy. It would be Sandy that played this one and even though Jack was very fond of him and had immense respect for him as a player, he was incredibly jealous.

"Oh well…" he said as he finished the final section and turned the page to get to where he had originally planned. Hopefully his time would come. Hopefully being the operative word. If only they would believe in him.

After an hour or so, Jack packed his instrument away, grabbed something to eat and headed out the door towards downtown. As he went the damning realization of what was waiting for him filled his consciousness once more and it wasn't long before he regretted pushing himself out of bed. Seeing Bunny again was just going to be hell. That, and Tooth, he was sure, would be reminding him of his choice of words the previous day in the coffee house all day long. No doubt she'd managed to spread to the whole section by now.

**Glossary:**

Baton: the stick the conductor uses to direct the orchestra.

Sectional: A rehearsal for a single section or sub-section of the orchestra.

**If you want to hear the piece Jack played that I'm referring to, follow this link (EDIT: FF is a bitch and deletes URLs so you have to put the dots in yourself):**

**youtube com/watch?v=_7JGBC-nOjQ**

**I realize a lot of you might not be into classical music but if you want to skip through to the sweetest bit so you can get an idea of what I was writing about then go to about 2:29 and listen to the end. It helps if you close your eyes and imagine Jack playing it while you listen!**

**Anyway, thanks again for your amazing responses. I really appreciate you taking the time to read and then either follow, favourite or leave feedback. You guys are awesome!**

**Next chapter soon! x**


	3. Chapter 3

**Howdy, y'all! Me again with a hot, steaming chapter for you. And when I say hot and steaming I mean left overnight to marinate for me to edit the following afternoon and make sure I haven't made a complete hash of it.**

**Now, before you get going I just want to apologise to any American musicians who may be reading this story and wondering what on earth I'm talking about when it comes to musical terms. Here, in Europe, we use a completely different set of words for things, e.g. a quarter note is called a crochet, an eight note is called a quaver, etc. Knowing this, I have tried my best to use American terms for this story but there are most likely a few I don't know are different 'cross the pond and will probably cause confusion. Just wanna say sorry if that's the case!**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 3**

Arriving at the concert hall, Jack did his best to remain as unnoticeable as possible. He slunk in the back way and made his way through the hallways dotted with administration and practice rooms used by the orchestra on either side and made his way towards the studio where they'd be practicing that day. The main auditorium wasn't theirs to be used as and when they wanted and another company was setting something up this morning. The studio where they'd be today was far brighter and neutral, almost to the point of being clinical but with mirrors on the walls so it could also be used for dance. Because of this, it meant every little detail was far more visible, or to phrase it more appropriately, exposed. As Jack quietly pushed open the door to the room he instantly felt as if he were under a microscope as various pairs of eyes landed on him to see whom it was coming in. They lingered perhaps a little longer than would usually be expected and Jack made sure to grab a hold of and restrain the glow in his cheeks that threatened to appear. He put it down to his colleagues collective memory and silent recognition of his accident the day before.

So, instead of his regular, confident stride in he meekly made his way across to his seat and sat down trying his best not to garner too much attention along the way. A couple of people made good natured cracks at him as he went but instead of bouncing them back mischievously as usual he simply replied with a half smile and sat down feeling like an idiot again. He sorely remembered his extra verbal malfeasance in the coffee house the previous evening and was waiting for the moment when somebody would call him on it. Thankfully Tooth, it seemed, hadn't spread it as much as he'd expected and breathed a sigh of relief when five whole minutes went by without him hearing anything about it.

Eventually, the still turquoise-clad girl flittered down to her seat on his left after a few moments more and greeted him in her usual cheery way. Strangely enough she didn't call him on it either and cautiously he started to feel okay again. Perhaps today wouldn't be as bad as he had expected and maybe, just maybe, he could get away with not looking totally boneheaded to the entire orchestra. That is if he could also manage a fresh start with Bunny, or at least find some kind of neutral ground.

As if on cue, the handsome Australian came in wearing the same blue-grey jacket as yesterday and was carrying a huge stack of music. Undoubtedly it was an additional piece from this season's repertoire they'd need to practice and as he started to hand it out, Jack made sure to bend down and pretend to fumble in his case so as not to come face to face with him. He couldn't manage it just yet. He didn't feel like dying of embarrassment this early.

Soon he heard the music placed down on the stand in front of him but instead of the man holding it moving on he decided to say a friendly hello to Tooth who responded in kind. Jack groaned silently as he kept his head down wondering how long he could get away with pretending to look for something and began to feel his time running out when Bunny just would not go. In fairness it wasn't the best thought out plan in the world to avoid him and so, not wanting to worsen his already bruised reputation, he stiffly sat up and looked up at the guy standing over him.

"Mornin', Jacky" he said friendlily, "No gum today, I hope"

"No" Jack said quietly without so much as a glimmer of a reflection of Bunny's kind-heartedness. He didn't like being called Jacky. He wasn't a kid. He let that go for now though. Hopefully it wouldn't happen again.

"Hope you're ready for hell today, mate. We got a lot to get through"

"Always ready", said Jack hoping he could start to build a proper name for himself with him. "Hit me with your best shot"

Bunny raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Oh, I see. You fancy a challenge, eh?"

"If you really think you've got the chops for it." It seemed banter was the way to go with this guy and Jack, being a master of mischief, wasn't going to wait to try and find another way in.

"Heheh! Right then, Jacky. Impress me!" he said before moving along the line. Jack thought about stopping him to nip the 'Jacky' thing in the bud before it became a problem but he didn't want to ruin the little back and forth they'd had just now. Even though it was only a few seconds it had gone well and it seemed that maybe their working relationship wasn't ruined before it had even started.

With a small smile he looked away from Bunny as he walked away and refocused on Tooth who was beaming at him.

"See? Everything's cool"

Jack snorted silently through his nose, "Yeah, I guess you were right"

"Of course I was!"

Jack's smile widened. Perhaps he'd made a friend in Bunny already, in some abstract, unconventional way. It would be nice to get to know him better and the potential to spend time with him was extremely attractive. Today was going to be good for sure. Oh yes, after a day like yesterday, the universe owed it to him to be kind today.

Unfortunately, that was where he was wrong. As he turned his eyes to see what they would be playing his smile turned to an exasperated expression of disbelief and suddenly he was back to hating the world again.

"Are you kidding me?!" he exclaimed loudly as he read the words 'Tristan und Isolde' inscribed above the name Wagner. To Jack, this must have been one of the most tedious pieces ever written and was the musical equivalent of watching paint dry. After a second or two of silent discontent, Jack flopped back on his chair in a huff and groaned loudly not caring who heard his perturbation. At least Swan Lake dripped beauty from every note, even if it was easy for him. This had to be the least technical, most repetitive, strung out junk he'd ever heard. No wonder half the audience always seemed to fall asleep.

"What's the matter?" Tooth asked already knowing what he was going to say. She remembered from college Jack's famous rant when faced with this piece before and she decided not to try and pacify him. It would be no use.

"I hate this opera! It suuuuuuuucks!"

"Problem, Jacky?" came Bunny's voice across from the woodwinds. Jack turned his head to look at him and he would have been more civil in his reply had it not been for that 'Jacky' comment again. He'd already found his regular confidence and was now going to put it to use.

"It's Jack", he said firmly.

Bunny blinked.

"Problem?"

"Tristan and Isolde. Really?"

"What's wrong with Tristan and Isolde. Wagner's great"

"Yes, Wagner IS great. But this was his rare piece of garbage"

Bunny looked a little surprised at that. How dare this little pipsqueak call something by Wagner garbage.

"What do you mean?" he said narrowing his eyes.

"It's dissonant, it's pretentious and it never goes anywhere. It's just…crappy"

"What the hell are you on about?" Bunny said as he returned to handing out the music, this time a little agitated, "It's a triumph from every angle."

"Well, I've tried looking at it from a few angles and the only one I ever seem to see it from is its ass" said Jack eliciting a few laughs from around him.

"You don't know what you're talking about. This piece is pure poetry."

"You like poetry?" Jack said with a smirk, "Here's one. Roses are red, violets are blue, this piece sucks and Bunny wouldn't know beautiful music if it kicked him in the nuts"

"Jack! Tooth hissed shooting him a harsh glare, or as harsh as she could manage with her natural sweetness. She certainly did not approve of him being rude to their new conductor barely before they'd begun their second day.

Jack held his expression and looked back to Bunny who had his trademarked smirk on. It had a 'step up to the plate' kind of bravado to it and he seemed ready to bounce Jack's comments right back at him. Bunny wasn't without his doubts though. What was really going on here? He didn't know Jack that well but to hear the little shit bash Wagner like that made him wonder how to proceed. On the one hand, he could bounce back and forth with him and keep it good-natured. On the other hand, though, he didn't know whether or not Jack was being serious in his condemnation of the piece and was genuinely angry about having to play it. Giving the boyish violinist the benefit of the doubt he decided to rise above it.

"Okay then, smart guy. What would you have us play?"

Jack thought for a second and then said, "I dunno. The Magic Flute?"

Bunny snorted at him, "You hate pretention and you come up with that as an alternative. At least the Tristan and Isolde pushes the boundaries a little"

"If by boundaries you mean the desire to kill yourself"

"Oh come on, Jacky"

"It's Jack!"

"I don't care if it's Sweet Fanny Adams. This has been planned for months. If you didn't like it then you should have complained when it was first lined up which was…what?...last September?"

"He didn't pay attention" chimed in Tooth cheerily.

"Shut up!" Jack hissed at her.

"He never does!" she carried on.

"Is that so, Jack?" Bunny said putting emphasis on the 'Jack' making sure he made a point of getting it right.

"No" the white-haired guy said in a huff and sitting back down.

"Just play it, it'll grow on ya"

"The hell it will!"

"Calm down. You might choke yourself"

A roar of laughter erupted from the orchestra forcing Jack to shut up and turn pink again. Bunny just turned away and got on with handing out the music whilst maintaining his smirk. Jack sat stewing. Not angrily but certainly peeved at losing their bantering and having his accident highlighted once more in front of everyone. Tooth was burning a hole in the side of his head and he refused to look at her as she kept on staring even though it was painfully obvious she was doing so. He was too busy thinking about what he was going to do now, and he didn't mean the music. Clearly he wasn't shy of talking to Bunny anymore. That had gone out the window the minute he'd been called Jacky. He did, however, feel strangely drawn to that to-ing and fro-ing that had just gone down between them. It felt good in kind of a messed up way and even though he was embarrassed right now, he had to admit bunny was growing on him. Having said that, he could also see paths away from where they were now that could lead him to hatred. Overall it seemed as if he had found his match for mischief and that was what made the Australian so magnetic. He wanted to tick him off some more, even if that was a strange desire, and couldn't wait until his turn to win their sparring. After all, it had to come sooner or later.

Begrudgingly he picked up his violin when Bunny stepped up to his stand and talked them through the piece. It wasn't long before they got into the overture and Jack started wishing someone would kill him. The long, drawn out phrases* were not pleasing to his ear and he quickly found his arm getting heavy from the long, dreary chords with no hint of anything animated. He liked pieces that were busy and fast moving. They were fun and made him happy. Swan Lake certainly had it's share of fast, choppy scales and runs of notes with some complicated fingering that made him smile and presented him with that little bit of a challenge he so desperately craved. Perhaps he had been too hard on the piece to begin with and compared to the junk he was being forced to play now, it was a godsend.

As the piece went on his mind began to wander and his concentration on Bunny's conducting allowed his mind taking a few liberties. Bunny was surprisingly graceful in his movements as he motioned his arms masterfully through the air in front of him. Jack had expected him to be a little rougher or more violent with his strokes but it seemed as if he had judged this book by its cover. Bunny was hot, there was no question of that, but he wasn't 'pretty' hot. He was tough, and strong and had an air of power about him that wasn't mirrored in this clear, creative prowess he now displayed.

Conducting is like painting. Anyone can pick up a brush and scrawl something that looks half-decent on canvas. Similarly, anyone with a sense of rhythm can conduct musicians. Like painting though, it takes years of instruction, practice and sweat to truly master the art and as Jack watched the tall, dark man in front of him, he started to marvel at the sheer level of skill being displayed before his very eyes. That, and his big, muscled arms that rippled as he waved them weren't anything to be sniffed at. Bunny had grace, power streamed from him and he had a keen sense of the orchestra's heartbeat which took most new conductors a good few weeks to become fully acquainted with. Bunny just seemed to click with them as a group and knew how to easily shape and mould their playing as if he'd been doing it all his life. That was talent, and Jack couldn't deny he was a tiny bit in awe.

It took a few more seconds for Jack to realise he had completely gone off track during a long rest* and had completely missed the next entry. Looking like a baby deer trying to walk, he flailed around for a moment trying to simultaneously put his violin back under his chin and find his place on the page and succeeding in neither. Even after he'd gotten his violin in place he couldn't find the right bar* and it took Tooth to stop playing and point to where they were so Jack could join in. Jack just knew Bunny must have been watching him with that smirk on his face and sure enough, after a few seconds, he looked up and there they were. Those deep, breathtaking green eyes were watching him along with that slacked, 'know it all' smirk and both were making him feel like a kid. Ever since Bunny had arrived it seemed that every time he needed to look professional, Jack had inadvertently sabotaged himself and looked like a complete boob. Even now when they were playing, the thing Jack was actually really good at, he made himself look like he was completely incompetent and since this was his profession it stung just that little bit more when Bunny gave him that look. That damned look. That smirking, full of himself, 'clearly you're an idiot' look. That sexy, charming, handsome and all out gorgeous look.

_"Oh God…"_ thought Jack as he fought with his feelings. Why was he so screwed up all of a sudden? They'd had good-looking conductors before and he hadn't behaved like an idiot. Something about Bunny just sent him into a whirl both on the inside and the outside and it pissed him off. He was just a guy. A guy like many others he'd worked with before. He could walk into any orchestral rehearsal in the country and find someone just like him. Or could he? To be honest, how often was it that he found a conductor this young, this attractive and this skilful all in one package. It wasn't often at all. In fact, Bunny was pretty much the only one he'd ever met and as Jack realised that and messed up another line in the process, he soon realised he wasn't going to be able to brush this conundrum off and forget about it. He really wanted to like Bunny and in many ways he already did. The problem was he also wanted to hate him which, in that messed up way, he already did too.

As Bunny stopped them and spoke to the brass about something, Jack stared at the ground and sighed. He really needed to get his mind off of this. How was it that they were only twenty-five minutes into the rehearsal?

_Later at lunch…_

Tooth startled as Jack fell down into his seat on the opposite side of the table and buried his head in his arms again. Taking a second to let the dust settle, she finished her mouthful and cleared her throat.

"Bad morning?"

"You were there", said Jack muffled by the sleeves of his favourite blue hoodie.

"It's not that bad a piece"

"It's hell"

"Well…maybe. It doesn't matter though. This afternoon we'll be on Swan Lake again"

"Meh…" said Jack shuffling slightly.

Tooth just smiled and shook her head. He was really just a big kid on the inside and he didn't like it when he was forced to do something he didn't want to. He'd never really changed from being like that ever since she'd first met him. She found it quite sweet really and it was easy to see why he clicked so well with the kids he taught. Perhaps it was why he clicked with her so well too although on the whole it had to be because he made her laugh. Jack was a clown at heart and it was a shame to see him looking so downbeat today.

"You want some sushi?" she asked pushing the Tupperware box she'd brought towards him.

"You made sushi?" Jack asked raising his head with an inquisitive look.

"Uh huh" she replied proudly. "I learned"

"I'm not sure I'd have the patience for anything like that"

"It's a marvel how you ever learned to play then"

"Hey!" he shot back with a smile and reaching forward to take a piece. He had a beautiful smile and the perfect, white gleam that shone from his mouth was the first thing that caught Bunny's eye as he entered the break room down the hall from where he'd been conducting that morning. It made him pause for just a moment and he managed to look away again just before he was caught. He'd been stealing glances at Jack all morning and from his place in front of the orchestra he had a perfect view of the cutie.

_"Cutie?" _he thought to himself as he wondered why on earth his brain had coughed that word up when he thought of Jack. Perhaps he was just hungry and a little dazed from the low blood sugar. Conducting was a surprisingly hard workout when it got vigorous and he did feel tired after the morning they'd just had. Wagner was famous for his big, triumphant scores and it seemed he'd had little compassion for conductors when he'd written the piece. Bunny's whole arm ached as he crossed the room dotted with a few tables and made his way towards the exit on the other side. He'd been invited to a lunch meeting with the other conductors at a café nearby and although Pitch Black creeped him out a little he didn't mind going to get to know the others a little better.

Just as he was about to leave he stopped and smirked briefly as he wondered whether or not a certain somebody was looking at him as he walked away. Quickly, but not obviously, he turned his head to look back and sure enough, there were Jack's bright blue eyes watching him, suddenly turning to surprise and then darting away embarrassedly. Bunny chuckled and went out the door with a renewed sense of victory. He was going to have a lot of fun with this guy, that was for damn sure.

"Ugh! He's such an ass!" Jack pouted as he placed his chin on his folded arms and stared down at the table. Tooth had watched the whole thing and sat there quietly for a few moments as she let the reality of the situation marinate in the air. She had a coy smile on her face and as she placed the lid back on her lunchbox she spoke knowingly.

"You're crushing on him…"

"What?!" Jack said as he sat up abruptly, "You're crazy!"

"Ha ha! I've seen this before. Jacky's got a crush on Bunny!"

"I do not! Shut up!"

"From the moment you first saw him you've been drooling over him"

"Would you shut up?!" Jack hissed as he hesitantly looked around. He didn't want people to hear her outrageous accusations. They weren't even true. Not really. Right?

"Hee! Oh, I can't wait to see how this one turns out! You gonna ask him out?"

"What?! No! I don't even-… What are you trying to-… Gah!" Jack blabbered before jumping up and storming out. He stewed as he stomped away to the sound of Tooth's laughing behind him and as he went he tried to force himself to think of anything other than those words. They weren't true. Even if Bunny was incredibly hot. Everyone must have thought so and he couldn't be alone in thinking that. It didn't mean he liked Bunny like that. _"It just means I want to make out with him a little bit"_.

The sound of Jack's frustrated shout permeated through the closed door of the break room and only served to make Tooth feel even more pleased with herself that she'd managed to call Jack on something that she thought was just so adorable.

**Glossary:**

Bar: A division in written music containing the notes for a certain number of beats.

Phrase: In music, a phrase is a series of notes that sound complete when played on their own. Comparable to a sentence within a paragraph.

Rest: An interval of silence within a piece. It can be for as little as one beat or less, or as long as almost the entire piece.

**Hee! Jack likes Bunny! Lol. Well, I couldn't write a JackRabbit fic without throwing that in there at some point. That'd be one lousy ship!**

**Anyway, I hope you liked it. Thank you so much once again for all your lovely reviews. I'm terrified that at some point I'm going to slip up and do something that turns you all off of it. In any case, I appreciate your taking the time to read this. It means a lot to me to know you all like it so much. Sorry it took a few days to get out. I wrote out a basic framework last Friday but needed to embellish the sections to make them stand up better. I even wrote in my notes while I was writing 'FLESH OUT INTRODUCTION. LEAD UP TO JACK'S SASSINESS'. I just hope I fleshed enough.**

**Thanks again, people! Your reviews are golden!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi, everyone! Thank you so much for your reviews. Your suggestions were also appreciated and I don't want to give anything away just yet but I do have a plan for Pitch which you will see the beginning of in this chapter. It actually reminded me that it's now chapter four and I haven't even introduced my main antagonist yet. Stupid me! Well, better late then never, I suppose. As for Pitch molesting Jack though…now there's a thought. Hmm…**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 4**

The next day was not a general rehearsal and the strings didn't need to go in. Jack slept in until around 11AM, the time he was eventually victorious in the battle over the slight hangover that had developed from when he'd first woken up. Due to his second day with Bunny going much in the same way as the first except angrier, Jack had called Tooth the minute he'd gotten home and dragged her out to some dive bar they went to on occasion when they had nowhere better to hang out. Jack had knocked back more and more Jack and Coke as Tooth just sipped club soda the whole time and as Jack sat in his bed and tried to rub away his grogginess he thought back to the previous evening and began to grimace when he remembered the looser his tongue had gotten as the hours ticked by. Why didn't he drink more? At least then he could have forgotten all of that.

_The previous night…_

"Another" Jack said to the bar tender as he pushed his empty glass over the polished surface.

"Maybe you should eat something", Tooth said after she'd watched him pound his first drink.

"I'm not hungry, I just hate everything"

"Come on, Jack. Don't be so upset"

"Why not? I figure I should be allowed to after today"

"Why? Today wasn't as bad as yesterday"

"It was"

"Well, it depends on how you look at it"

"And how, dear Tooth, should I look at it?" griped Jack as he reached for his freshened glass.

"At least you're not afraid of Bunny anymore"

"I was never afraid of Bunny"

"Shy then"

"I wasn't shy!"

"Yes, you were. Yesterday you wouldn't even talk to him. Today you gave him sass. I can't wait to see what Thursday brings"

Jack just closed his eyes and groaned, "Oh, Tooth. Why is this so messed up?"

"Because you like him"

"For the last time, I don't like him"

"You do! You so do!"

"I so do not!"

"Don't think I haven't noticed you looking at him all day long. He's been looking at you too you know. I bet he likes you as well."

"We don't even know if he's gay"

"Ah ha! You do like him!"

"No, I don't!"

"Yes, you do! Why would you bring that up if you weren't considering it?"

"As just…like…a commentary"

"A commentary?"

"Yes. It was what we were talking about and I threw something relevant in. A commentary."

"His unknown sexuality is relevant?"

"It was just then", said Jack knowing he was digging a hole. There was a short silence between them before Tooth looked down to her glass, took a sip and then spoke.

"So what do you think?"

"What do you mean?"

"You think he's gay?"

Jack thought for a moment, "Hard to tell. He obviously takes care of himself and puts some thought into his looks. And he'd pretty ripped. But then, he's Australian. Aren't even their ugly people hot? You know, compared to us?"

Tooth just smiled, "I don't know, Jack. All I do know is you just talked about Bunny's grooming and his muscles without even flinching."

Just glared at her and then turned away to down the rest of his drink. "Aw, shut up!" he said as he signalled for another.

Later that night, the pair pulled up in a cab outside Jack's apartment. Tooth had decided Jack had drunk just enough to drown his sorrows but not enough to lead him down a path where he'd be totally an utterly blotto. Quite clearly he'd forgotten what he had to do tomorrow afternoon and she'd decided to wait until now to remind him so as not to give him something else to moan about all evening.

"You think I could make snow cones with Jack Daniels?" he asked as they came to a stop. Tooth just looked at him sympathetically.

"I think that might be something to try another night. You'll need a clear head for tomorrow"

"What are you talking about? We don't have anything tomorrow"

"Don't you remember…you know…what you've got tomorrow afternoon?"

Jack thought for a second, "No…I don't think I-…Aw, crap!" he spat as it dawned on him what the next day held.

"That's right. Are you ready?" Tooth asked as gently as she could.

"I don't know. I just don't wanna go-ho-ho!" Jack whined. He was referring, of course, to the review he had with none other than the conductor that gave him the creeps, Pitch Black. It was a regular occurrence for all of the orchestra's players and it served the purpose of assessing their skills over time so to make sure they got their hierarchy right and could move people around accordingly when the time came. There were a group of higher-ups that held the reviews and it wasn't just Pitch that did them. It seemed that Jack always seemed to get him though and he didn't think that was fair. Pitch always put him off as he always stood at Jack's side or behind him and watched every little movement he made. It made him uncomfortable as he felt the lithe, sickly-looking man's penetrating eyes locked on his body and it made him so nervous that he always messed something up. As a result, any of his attempts to impress Pitch with his playing were often marred by his mistakes and he always left his review with the sting of Pitch's comments fresh in his ear. The man had a way with words that kept eating at a person long after they were spoken and there had been many a time after a review when Jack had found himself awake into the early hours hearing them over and over in his head. Tomorrow would surely be no different and Jack sank down in the backseat of the cab as he tried to process the actuality that was his impending knockdown.

_Back in the present…_

Jack ran his fingers into his tousled hair and rubbed his head gently as he tried to clear the haze in his mind. In hindsight, he really should have spent the previous evening practicing and he regretted not doing so. There wasn't really any time now to practice anything seriously and he knew he wouldn't be able to do anything after getting straight out of bed. After jumping, or rather dragging himself into a hot shower he stood in his living room, in his underwear since getting dressed was just another chore at this moment in time, and put together his violin to try practicing a little in order to wake up his muscles. In front of him he had the Rondo from Beethoven's 5th Violin Sonata. It was a piece he knew well and had been happy to play when it was assigned as one of their review pieces. There were other pieces he'd have to play as well but this was the main one this time around and before today he'd been fairly confident he'd do a good job with it. The way he felt this morning though left him feeling unsure and as he began to play his fears about messing up wouldn't go away. The piece had its technical moments but was simple enough to really expose his poor technique if he did slip up, especially in the wrong places. His arpeggios were messy, his shifting* was a little off and he had to force himself to stop, shake his head, grit his teeth and knuckle down on this music so he wouldn't look stupid later. After a few minutes of fierce concentration he felt the blood in his arms starting to pump properly and he managed to find his usual agility. His headache, which had never really been too strong, began to subside and it wasn't long before he managed to sound half-decent again. Hopefully after a little coffee, something to eat and maybe some Tylenol he would be back on fine form and wouldn't give Pitch much ammunition.

He relished the idea of wiping that smug, self-important look off of the frightening man's face and hoped he could walk out the other side of his review feeling as if he deserved his place in the orchestra. All of the other reviewers were warm and kind, but not Pitch. Whereas other players would get praise and constructive comments with other bosses, Pitch would never be so nice as to make them feel like they deserved to even be alive. Every so often he'd say something that would be genuinely cruel but usually he was smarter than that and would allow the player to be consumed by their own self-doubt and fear if they didn't meet his expectations. Even now, Jack remembered the first time when he'd been asked whether he really thought he was up to the standard demanded by such a professional orchestra and the creeping, destroying feeling that had followed. Pitch had left it at that and Jack had felt worthless for days afterwards. He'd practiced and practiced for hours until his fingers were sore but it wasn't any use. He'd just felt horrible. It eventually took North, the manager Jack became extremely fond of, to break him out of his rut by telling him he was doing great and to ignore Pitch. That was when Jack learned even the guys in charge thought he was an jackass. And he was. He really, really was when he wanted to be and Jack smirked to himself as he decided that today he wasn't going to let Pitch get on top of him. He was no doubt going to be mean but Jack was confident that even though he felt gross, he was still a great player and nothing said to him to the contrary would get to him. Screw Pitch. And screw his review.

After lunch, Jack found himself standing in a practice room holding his violin and staring at the page on the stand in front of him. He had to admit he was a little nervous. It reminded him of performance exams he'd taken in college and knew that these were basically the same thing. This time though, how well he did didn't affect his grade, it affected his career and no amount of cocksure, internal self-promoting could quell the fear that began to creep in at the edges of his consciousness.

_"Just calm down" _he thought to himself as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, _"You're not getting fired. It's just a review"_

Just then his phone buzzed in his pocket and he took it out to see a good luck message from Tooth. He smiled weakly as he read the message and then startled as the door burst open to reveal the chilling man he'd been expecting. He was dressed all in black as usual and Jack had always wondered if he did that just to draw attention to his spooky eyes. He did not look happy and Jack gulped a little before forcing a smile onto his face in greeting.

"Good afternoon, Pitch" he said trying to sound confident but not doing a great job. Pitch was silent for a moment as he stared Jack down and made him feel uneasy. Then, to his surprise, he softened and put on his smarmy, slithery brand of niceness that creeped Jack out even more as he spoke.

"Jack Frost, it's a pleasure to see you again"

"Uh…you too" he lied.

"Ready?" Pitch asked, as he began to glare.

"Let's do it"

On that note, Pitch stepped in and revealed the pianist that had been standing behind him. How had he managed to conceal a whole person with his aura of terror? That had to be black magic and once again Jack took a deep breath to steady his nerves that, by now, had started jittering again. Was it suddenly hotter in here? It felt like it.

Jack watched Pitch as he seemed to drift menacingly across the room and took a seat directly in front of him where he could see Jack's face around his stand and make the poor guy know he was being analyzed. Jack gritted his teeth inside his mouth and just stared at the page on the stand hoping to God he didn't look scared. It didn't matter if he was, he just couldn't let Pitch know how he felt and avoided eye contact with him at all costs which, owing to where he sat, was no easy task.

"Shall we begin?" Jack asked raising his violin.

"In a moment" said the almost grey-skinned man in front of him, "but first of all…Jack, how are you feeling?"

Jack was quiet for a second, "How am I feeling?"

"That's what I said"

"I…uh…fine, I guess"

"You guess?"

"Yeah…"

"Really? Because it seems that in the past couple of days you've been a little off"

"Have I?" asked Jack suddenly realising what Pitch was getting at.

"Yes. I've been watching you. Feeling a little rusty, perhaps? After the holidays?"

"It hasn't been that long"

"True, but you do seem to be…struggling"

"I'm not struggling. It's only been a couple of days since we've come back"

"But I would expect you not to need a warm up period. This is, what, your fourth season here?"

"Yes"

"So, do you not think that, maybe, you should be used to how we work here?"

"I feel I understand it"

"You feel you do? Well…we'll see"

Silence then filled the room for a few moments and Jack didn't know what he was supposed to do. If he hadn't felt entirely confident a few minutes ago, he must have been teetering on the edge of a breakdown by now and as the seconds ticked past he only felt more and more uncomfortable as those bright but menacing eyes watched him.

"Shall I…start?"

"What a good idea" Pitch said sarcastically.

Jack raised his violin again and tried to breathe slowly. He knew this piece and he didn't find it hard. It was nothing to be scared about. All he had to do was play it, and play it well. That was all and then he'd move onto the next one. Why then did he want to run away?

When he was as ready as he was ever going to be, he looked over to the pianist in the corner of the room, who gave him a sympathetic smile, and nodded to show he was ready. As the pianist started playing he raised his bow and took another breath. It didn't steady him as he had hoped and so he just concentrated on getting his entry right. Nothing would be worse than missing that.

Fortunately he'd been here long enough to get the joints in his hands nice and loose so his fingers didn't feel sluggish as they danced across the fingerboard. Not that they had to dance too much. The piece focused far more on correct intonation than complexity and he seemed to be achieving that perfectly. Well, so far. He took care to manage his vibrato* nicely and tried not to overcook it. He also held back on emphasizing his slurs and making it sound too passionate. Pitch would hate that, and besides, the piece was delicate and not an epic love poem. There was no need to give it more drama and give Pitch something to criticize him for.

Soon he got to the part with the tricky turns* and then not long after came the fiddly little triplets*. He nailed them and sneaked a cheeky smile when he came out the other side. Then, as soon as it had begun, he finished the piece with a good, firm, well-tuned double-stop* and let his violin down. He was very pleased with himself and smiled even more as he shuffled the music around on his stand. He'd been right on with his fingering, his double-stopping* had been perfectly in tune and he hadn't overdone the variation in his dynamics*. Maybe this time he'd actually get some praise.

_"Don't kid yourself" _he thought as he remembered who it was sitting across from him and saw how he looked neither impressed nor unimpressed. He had simply sat there all through the piece and had hardly moved a muscle. It was just his creepy way and so Jack just took it as neither a good nor bad sign.

"What did you think?" he asked with a quiet, but now more confident voice. Pitch just continued to stare and then, after a few moments, spoke with a sneer.

"Next piece"

Jack sighed with frustration but not too visibly so Pitch would pick up on it and play it against him. He simply arranged the next two pieces, a couple of studies the higher-ups had selected and played them one after the other, this time only making a couple of mistakes. Studies were designed to be tricky though and so he didn't think too much of it. He was still riding the happy feeling he'd gotten from his performance of the Beethoven and nothing was going to bring that down. Nothing, that was, until Pitch started who had by now moved behind him to examine his body as he played. Jack turned his head to look at the man when he lingered there for just a little longer than was comfortable. He simply stood there glaring and Jack didn't like it one bit.

"So. What do you think?"

Pitch sighed exasperatedly, "What do you want me to say, Jack?"

"I uh…I don't know."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Isn't the point of the review to tell me whether I'm sounding okay and let me know what I should work on?"

"Hmm" he said turning away and going over to the window, "And do you want me to give you my honest opinion or just give you the answer you expect?"

"And what's the answer I expect?" Jack asked narrowing his eyebrows.

Pitch spoke with a hint of baby talk in his voice, as if he were talking to a dog "Oh, weren't you a good boy? Yes, you was! Yes, you was! You're so special!"

Jack huffed. This was new but not unexpected. Damn, he wished he could hit this asshole!

"And how about something serious?"

Pitch turned around, "You really want that? Fine. What can I say? I see no change in you from the last time we met. It seems to me you're not putting any work into your playing and are simply coasting by on natural ability. You show no evidence of hard work and I cannot say categorically that you deserve to be in the seat you hold. And as for your posture, I don't think I even need to say what a mess that is"

Ouch! That stung badly. It wasn't devastating though, all apart from that jab at his posture which was a new one. Jack had grown accustomed to Pitch's frank condemnation of his playing and he'd learned to ignore it. Others said he was good including other conductors and managers. What's more, he knew he was good and had most certainly improved in the last year. Playing in a professional orchestra like the West Pennsylvania Philharmonic brought out a certain something in a player that couldn't be garnered anywhere else and Jack had seen a change in his playing since working for them. Pitch was just trying to get at him and even though he didn't believe him, the nasty man still got to him. Especially with the new attack he'd decided to throw in there. What was wrong with his posture? He thought he stood nicely when he played. Surely Pitch was just making things up now.

"I see. And what would you recommend I do?" Jack asked deciding not to respond in kind.

"Have you considered whether or not there might be a profession you're better suited to?" he asked smugly and turning away.

"No. Have you?"

Pitch grunted. "Watch it, Frost"

"Yes, Mr. Black" he said with a grin.

"Jack, do you really think there's any chance of you getting better? I mean really?"

"I have gotten better"

"I asked if you think you can get better from here"

"Well, of course I can."

"Then will you at least try to impress me the next time we meet?"

"Hey, I nailed that Beethoven. Wasn't that good enough?"

"Dreary rubbish that's thrown at the string section to try and impress us and only serves to swell their own self-importance" he said as he marched back to his seat. "Play me something else"

"W- What?"

"You want to impress me? Play me something impressive, if you think you can"

Jack snorted silently. This jackass wanted impressing? Fine, he'd impress him. With what though? What else did he have with him? Slowly he made his way over to his bag thinking hard through the pieces he had inside. He didn't have much. An Elgar piece and something else he couldn't quite remember, neither of which would be good enough to show off to Pitch. The only other piece he had to hand was the score to Swan Lake and he couldn't play anything from that.

Or could he? Suddenly he thought about the solo from the Russian dance in Act three and wondered if he could really play that to him. It was pleasing, yes, and it was extremely hard to play. He'd played it before though and he knew it inside out. Perhaps this was his ticket into Pitch's good books, or at least his ticket out of his bad. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his nerves and turned back around holding the piece. As he got back to his stand he spoke to the pianist.

"Can you give me the Act three Russian dance from Swan Lake?"

He received a surprised nod and then ignored Pitch's amused chuff as he readied himself. Confidently, he raised his violin again and looked to the player behind the piano and signalled his readiness. The opening chord echoed in the room as the pianist bashed it out and straight away Jack begun the passionate, ornamented run from low down on the G-string all the way up to the top on the E where he gave everything he had to the fast trilling that followed. This was one he could really throw everything he had into and could let passion flow freely. It was extremely alluring music and a piece that really showed off a violinist's abilities. It required strength, skill and above all a well-tapped source of artful fervour from within. On top of that it demanded a huge amount of control that Jack had always found enticing. This was the kind of challenge he was always looking for and as he played he found himself becoming more and more absorbed in the music. It filled him up and took control of him and as he sawed away at the strings with his bow it felt as if a fire burning within him began to rage. He was in his element and knew Pitch couldn't fault him for his sound quality here.

As it happened, just as he began, Bunny, who had been running a brass sectional all day was just returning from a bathroom break and was stopped mid-stride as he heard the sound of a solo violin coming from somewhere nearby. Silently he listened and began to follow it to a closed door just a few paces away from where he was and stopped to listen. Whoever it was sounded fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. He hadn't gotten to know any player's individual sound in this orchestra yet and he would have remembered if he'd heard this person before. He might have assumed it was Sandy in there playing but knew the concertmaster didn't have to go through these reviews. So who was it?

As the mystery player consumed him he lost track of time and didn't move until the piece was over. He decided to try to figure out whom it was from the voices that followed but all he could make out were muffled garbles.

On the other side of the door, Jack paused as the silence in the room rounded off the piece nicely. He'd really outdone himself this time and couldn't wait to see the look on Pitch's face.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the grey-looking man's expression hadn't changed. He just sat there and stared as he had before and it looked as if he had something brewing inside. Probably something mean knowing him.

"Not bad" he said eventually, "Shame it wasn't something you chose"

"What do you mean?"

"It was from Swan Lake. Surely you have something you can play well that stands up on its own rather than this, something we provided for you"

"Wasn't it good enough?"

The silence that followed let Jack know he'd caught Pitch out. It felt good. It really did.

"Just don't forget what I said", Pitch grumbled as he rose up and made for the door, "Ask yourself if you really think you deserve your place in this orchestra." With that he left leaving Jack and the pianist alone in the room. Jack turned to the her with a smile and knew she was feeling the same way.

"Great job" she said with a smile as she made for the door as well and left. It was gratifying to know that at least someone other than himself thought he'd done well. Jack just chuckled as he began to pack up and was glad he'd managed to shut Pitch up. That was the real reward here, at least for now.

Jack turned as he heard the door click again and froze as he locked eyes with Bunny. The two just stared at each other for a long moment. Jack wondering what on earth this was about, Bunny dumbfounded at realizing that it was Jack who had impressed him so much. Eventually, Jack to broke the silence.

"Hey" he said in a low voice.

"Hey. That, uh…that was you playing just now?"

"Yeah"

"Huh" Bunny said keeping quiet again. The two continued to stare at each other in silence for another long moment before Bunny interrupted the awkwardness that had now sprung into the room. "Uh…sounded real good, Jacky. Uh…I mean, Jack"

"Thanks"

The two stared again for a moment before the tension became too great and Bunny embarrassedly slunk out of the room. Just as he pulled his body around the door Jack gave him a soft, almost unnoticeable smile and then chuffed amusedly as the man disappeared from his sight. That was weird. Perhaps the weirdest thing though was Bunny correcting himself over his 'Jacky' mistake. He'd had so much fun with it the day before, so why would he correct himself if he could have some fun at his expense again?

Delving deep into his pocket he pulled out his phone and scrolled through the numbers quickly before hitting 'Call'. It rung for only a second or two before the person at the other end picked up.

"Hello?"

"Tooth, it's Jack"

"Oh, hey! How did it go?"

"Great. But I've got a problem"

"What?"

"Okay, get a load of this…"

Jack quickly related what had just happened and then the two remained silent.

"You still there?" Jack eventually asked.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"So what do you think?"

"What can I say? You like him. Follow him! Flirt a little!"

"God damn it, Tooth! It's not like that"

"It so is!"

"Aaah! Just shut up!" he shot as he hung up. What the hell was going on?

**Glossary:**

Double-stopping: When two strings are played simultaneously.

Dynamics: The volume levels of a piece of music.

Shifting: When I violinist changed the position of their fingers on the fingerboard (the long black part on top of the violin under the strings) in order to reach different notes along the same string. Different positions are called 'first, second, third, etc. position' depending on where the index finger is placed.

Triplet: A set of three notes of the same length fit into a certain number of beats, or for that matter, one beat or less.

Turn: A type of ornament in music (little flourishes found in music that decorate the melody) A short set of notes consisting of the one above the note printed, the note itself, the note below and the note itself again. Usually in a quick twiddle.

Vibrato: A rocking of the finger when pressed down on the fingerboard to create a wobbling sound. The same as how singers 'wobble' their voices when they sing long notes. Please excuse my bad explanation. Basically, it makes your playing sound fancy.

**There we are, everyone! Hope it wasn't too long for one chapter. At least now I have Pitch set up. Yay the antagonist! Once again, let me know what you think. Your reviews, favourites and follows mean so much to me and I am so pleased you're enjoying it. I've got some good stuff planned for Jack and Bunny and Pitch will certainly be in there to throw a spanner in the works so I hope you'll all like that. See you in the next chapter!**

**If you want to hear the Beethoven piece Jack played that I was referring to, here it is (YOU HAVE TO PUT THE DOTS IN YOURSELF): youtube com/watch?v=06fGo9oAnh8**

**And if, like me, you like reading the music as you listen, you can find it here (it's the last movement of the sonata so it starts halfway down page 5) (PUT THE DOTS IN): javanese imslp info/files/imglnks/usimg/a/a3/IMSLP04224-Beethoven_-_Violin_Sonata_No.5_violin_part_.pdf**

**Here is the Russian dance from Act III of Swan Lake (it's cool to imagine Jack playing this one. Well worth a listen if you like classical music or if you need a little fuel for the imagination): youtube com/watch?v=jADBf7QHAOw&list=PL10D6ABA89BF70168**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! Next chapter! FYI, I'm trying to fit this to the film's canon as feasibly as possible despite this being majorly non-canon. Knowing this, from time to time I will lift a line or plot point just to draw it back to centre so please don't think I'm doing it for lack of ideas. I feel it also helps to remind us of the characters as well. This is fanfiction after all so its best to remember who we're writing with!**

**Et voilà…**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 5**

This week seemed to be dragging. Every day seemed to be longer than the last and as Jack lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling waiting for his alarm to go off, he wondered if time had actually slowed down despite himself still running at regular speed. He was never awake before his alarm and he hadn't had the best of nights. Logic should dictate that he would desperately want to sleep in instead of be awake before 7AM but still, there he was, wide-awake and his mind already fixed on Bunny.

Feeling as if the Australian visitor had kidnapped his consciousness, he did his best to retain some kind of control over his thoughts. It was useless though; he just couldn't help thinking about him. The man had captivated him and he didn't know why. Well, that wasn't strictly true. He knew he found Bunny attractive and had enjoyed their bantering a couple of days previous. He found him annoying though and it was clear they got on each other's nerves and usually that was enough to put Jack off of anyone. Why not this time though? Was the balance not right? Was there something amiss? In the end Jack just brushed it off and tried to make peace with the fact he'd probably have the same kind of day today as the rest of the week's apparent theme. At least he got to teach later on and that was most definitely something to look forward to. He was teaching Jamie and that was a blessing in disguise considering Jack's need for a pick-me-up. That kid always put a smile on his face but he'd just have to look forward to that for a little longer and concentrate on getting through the day.

When he got to work he went into the studio as usual and unpacked his violin. After quickly tuning up he went to his seat and got everything ready before Tooth arrived and, as he did so, began to listen to the conversation around him. It sounded a little frustrated and as he started to listen he got his first bad news of the day.

"Hey, Tina, what's that I heard?" Jack asked one of the second violinists that sat nearby.

"Pitch is running rehearsal today" the girl said, "Can you believe it?"

"Aw damn" Jack said with a sigh, "Where's the new guy?"

"I dunno. Didn't he tell you anything?"

"Why would he tell me anything?"

"You two are friends already, right?"

_"Really? That's how everyone sees it?" _thought Jack as it dawned on him how quickly his colleagues formed half-baked rumours and let them spread. Who was he kidding though? He was just as guilty of the same when he wasn't the subject.

"No. He didn't say anything"

"Okay. Well, good luck not getting picked on"

"Thanks" Jack said turning back to his stand.

Great. If there was one thing he wouldn't have wished for instead of Bunny running rehearsal it was Pitch. After his review the day before it was clear that the evil psychopath would make sure to keep an eye on him and he wouldn't hesitate to humiliate him in front of the whole orchestra given the chance. Not that anyone would laugh at him. They all had sympathy for whichever unfortunate person upon whom Pitch would decide to take out his loathing and they all tried to hold it together as a unit. That was not to say that Pitch wouldn't take on the challenge of making a whole orchestra feel lousy by the end of the day though and he'd certainly won out in previous years. Hopefully today he wasn't feeling particularly mean.

A shadow seemed to befall the room and everything went silent for a second as the very person they'd all been dreading entered. All heads turned to look as Pitch silently made his presence known as he stood in the doorway for moment staring them all down. He then made his way over to the conductor's stand where he scanned everyone once again.

"Shall we get started?" he announced whilst everyone was clearly not ready.

"It's only just 9. Not everyone's here yet" a voice came from somewhere in the back and Pitch shot whoever it was a glare.

"A 9AM start means a 9AM start! You're not paid to be late"

Everyone exchanged awkward looks with one another and quickly shuffled to their seats, the gaps amongst them painfully obvious.

"Swan Lake, please" Pitch said opening his score, "The Act one, Pas de trios."

"Which one's that?" another voice came meekly.

"Scene 4" he replied with a sneer before mumbling "Dear God…"

Jack thought about ticking him off some more and asking where Bunny was but he didn't want to draw attention to himself too early. Quietly, he opened his score and picked up his violin, waiting for Pitch to bring them in. It didn't take long for him to do so and almost catching everyone off guard. They sounded quite feeble as they began and the lack of players exposed the incomplete chords that existed in their absence. They didn't produce the same richness of sound or volume that they usually did but it seemed enough to beckon the straggling players from down the hall, most of whom hurried in trying to juggle cups of coffee and the other things they had with them. As the orchestra continued to play the late players did their best to make their way to their places but the disruption was obvious. Pitch halted their playing and stood there bitterly as they sat down and waited until it was silent again before speaking.

"Tardiness, you should all know, is not acceptable in one of my rehearsals. I don't care how far that new, happy-go-lucky jackaroo from Melbourne is willing to let standards slip. You are all permanent members of this orchestra and you should all know better than to waste time"

_"Happy-go-lucky jackaroo?" _thought Jack as he replayed Pitch's characterization of Bunny in his head. Nonchalantly he turned his eyes to Tooth who had just sat down next to him and together they shared a silent snicker. If only he'd been there to hear that. It would have been hilarious.

Once again they started and after an hour they had only made their way to part four of the scene's six and Pitch didn't look pleased. It was perhaps a little slower than they usually progressed through music but not uncommonly slow. He had taken several opportunities to knock a few sections down but it seemed he was saving up whatever he had for the strings, and surely there would be something. At 10AM on the dot, the door opened and in walked Bunny as they played. Jack didn't see him at first since the door was behind him but looked over to the tall man as he came into his eye line and then darted his eyes back to Pitch so he wouldn't lose his place. It wasn't long before they finished the piece and Pitch grumbled something negative as usual before turning to Bunny and relating his version of how the rehearsal had gone so far. Jack watched as Bunny listened to him and smiled as he watched him becoming visibly less comfortable with every passing second. It seemed he hadn't warmed to Pitch much either and was looking for a breakpoint so he could send the discomforting man on his way.

"Okay, thanks…" he heard Bunny say as they finished speaking and then watched as Pitch returned to the stand to pick up his baton. In a flurry he then spun to the left, stepped forward to leave and bumped hard into Sandy. The short, cheery man had stood and bent over to pick something up off of the floor and the resulting catastrophe made everybody flinch as they watched it unfold. Pitch's collision was much harder than might have been expected and being as short as he was, Sandy's centre of gravity didn't help him to find his balance in time to stop himself from falling. As any violinist would do, in the split second that followed before he hit the floor he opted to save his violin before himself and slammed into the ground with his right arm twisted underneath his body. Much to everyone's surprise he let out an unexpected yelp and then brought his hand around to his front to cradle it gently. A few members from the violins rushed to his side and Pitch simply straightened himself up with a disgusted look on his face. It didn't look as if he cared. It simply looked as if he had been purposely inconvenienced and he looked as if he had to force out an apology whilst he looked down on their stricken concertmaster.

Jack was worried. He'd seen how hard Sandy had gone down and put his violin down to go over and see how he was. It was worse than he had expected, far worse. Sandy was clearly in pain and even as he stood up he looked extremely worried as he clutched his injured hand. It only took a few moments for it to become clear that he needed to see a doctor and then it began to sink into all of them that they had lost their concertmaster. Hopefully it wouldn't be for long but Jack had seen how badly he'd landed and was becoming more and more worried about what they were going to do if they lost him for longer than the rest of the week.

As Sandy was lead out of the room to go to the hospital, everyone's eyes turned to Pitch who was having words with Bunny again. As they once again finished up he turned to see everyone looking at him with disdain and simply glared back to show he hadn't time for their condemnation. Like a demon he slunk out of the room leaving the orchestra and Bunny in a quiet, almost mournful circumstance. Jack caught Bunny's eye as he stepped up to the stand, put his score down and smiled at him letting him know he was glad to see him. Bunny smiled back and then grabbed everyone's attention once more. He decided to lead on from where they'd gotten to and finished off the rest of scene four. Sandy's chair stuck out as it remained empty, almost like a monument to his memory. Morale had taken a hit the moment he'd left and it sounded as if it was reflected in their playing. Their energy and sprightliness was lagging and everyone just seemed blue. It was a chore for Bunny to get them to the end of the scene and the break he gave them when they were finished came as a blessing.

Jack got up to stretch out his back and then turned to Tooth as he felt his shoulder blades crack.

"You think Sandy'll be okay?"

"I hope so. He did go down pretty hard"

"I know. And hey, what about Pitch? You'd think he might show even the slightest bit of humanity since he basically crippled him"

"Maybe he did it on purpose"

"I wouldn't put it past him". Jack sighed, "At least he's gone now"

"Yeah. You must be pleased to have your boyfriend here"

Jack groaned, "No. Don't start that. Not today"

"Please? Just a little"

"No. I was up all night thinking about-…well, it doesn't matter"

"What? What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing! Just forget it"

"I thought you looked a little tired today! Were you wishin' on a star for a date with Bun Bun?"

"Damn it, Tooth!" Jack spat as he looked around to make sure Bunny didn't hear, "He's right there!"

"Okay, okay. I'll save it for later" she chuckled.

"Ugh!" Jack grumbled as he reached down for his water bottle. As he did so he took another look to where Bunny stood and saw that he was looking strained. Trying to conduct an unenthusiastic orchestra was like trying to swim through molasses and Jack felt for the man who had obviously been trying his hardest. That still didn't take away from how much he wanted to tease him but perhaps today he would give him a break. After all, there was always tomorrow and Jack always liked to goof around on a Friday. It seemed to put everyone in a good mood and readied them for the weekend.

When Bunny brought them all back, Jack was already sitting and conversing quietly with Tooth.

"Alright. Scene five, please" Bunny announced and raised his arms to prepare them. Having taken a breather, their entry to the scene was far more convincing than their first try with Pitch and the rich, confident sound seemed to get everyone's blood flowing. The fact that it was an upbeat waltz probably helped but whatever the case everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as they played. The firsts held the melody for most of the first part and, for lack of a better word, it made Jack feel rather jolly. It was a nice piece and something you could imagine a bunch of rich, aristocratic people from the nineteenth century dancing to at some fancy ball in a Cinderella castle – despite what a cutsie thought that might be.

As soon as it had begun, it finished and everyone waited as Bunny held his arms up to lead into the next piece straight away. As the silent moments ticked by, everyone began to puzzle until Bunny finally lowered his arms and looked up at the firsts.

"We don't have a concertmaster" he said and everyone knew what he meant. The next part contained the featured violin solo from the Act one pas de deux and Sandy wasn't here to play it. Jack simply sat back and pulled out his phone to check email as he expected the deputy* to step up to the plate. He startled when all of a sudden he heard "Jack!" echo out over the heads of the silent orchestra and looked up to see Bunny turned to him with that smirk he'd come to be known by on his face. He figured he was just going to be berated for using his phone during rehearsal and didn't expect what happened next.

"Fancy having a go?"

Jack's eyes widened.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you. Think you can handle it?"

Jack sat there with his mouth open until Tooth gave him a shove and he stumbled out of his seat and hobbled over towards where Sandy had sat. Briefly he caught the eye of the woman who sat in the opposite seat and tried not to let the obviously inhibited look of scorn get to him. To be fair it was generally the unwritten rule that whenever the concertmaster wasn't there it would be she to fill his place whilst someone from the back would come up to take her seat. It was practically unheard of for someone else in the section to step up to the concertmaster's chair without proper protocol, whatever that may be. As he began to sit he was stopped.

"No, no, no. Stand next to me" Bunny said walking over to the corner and grabbing a stand for Jack to read from. He placed it down just behind where he stood to his left and facing him diagonally. From there Jack knew he could easily hear him and follow his playing and-… _"Oh my God!" _thought Jack as he suddenly realized that they would now be practically following him. He was the solo player and it was up to him to take control for the most part. With the look of a startled deer on his face he met Bunny's eyes where he found himself speechless.

"Just until Sandy gets back" Bunny said warmly, "You don't mind, do you?"

"No" breathed Jack before looking over to his section and seeing the same look of bemusement amongst them. Why did Bunny choose him? What made him so special? They had never gotten called for anything like this before. Jack realized what was happening would probably only serve to enforce the rumour that he and Bunny were best buds already and he didn't like the prospect of being given special treatment as they would all dub it. The only one who looked happy for him was Tooth who smiled and mouthed "Go for it" as he caught her eye.

With a deep breath, Jack raised his violin, found his high F-sharp and put his bow on the string. With a meek nod to Bunny, the tall, dark man turned around, prepared the orchestra and led them in. With a fierce wobble of vibrato, Jack hit his first note and began the delicate but passionate playing demanded by the page in front of him. Tentatively he made his way through the first couple of bars intact and then felt his heart race as he realized he was doing it right.

Unfortunately, it seemed those well played bars were all his blessings tapped out for one day and as he played on he proceeded to butcher the whole piece. His ornaments were sloppy, he was flat in the worst places, his runs were badly measured and it was altogether painful to listen to. He felt his cheeks begin to burn as he forced himself not to look at the other players sitting in front of him but even without seeing them he knew they would be cringing at the sound of the cat he was strangling. It was perhaps the single most embarrassing moment of his time in that orchestra so far - even more so than his choking episode a few days before – and he just wished he could die there and then. That would be the second time in a week. Wow, the week itself really was fast becoming a write-off.

It seemed to take forever for the section to come to its end and as Jack fought to make the most quiet, most delicate part sound good he couldn't help but rush and as a result ended up out of time with everyone else. Eventually he did reach the trills on the high C-sharps at the end and was able to lead into the next part which was much more animated and allowed him a lot more opportunity to hide his mistakes. It was faster too and allowed him to rocket to the end, aided by Bunny who was clearly conducting it a lot faster to try and spare poor Jack any more humiliation.

Fortunately it seemed Jack got most of his double-stops right, or least okay, and it didn't take long for the piece's final chord to echo around the room. An extremely awkward silence followed and persisted for a good few moments before Bunny turned around with a that smirk on his face and not a look of sympathy that Jack could have used.

"Feeling a little off today, mate?"

"Clearly" Jack grumbled as he tried to avoid eye contact.

Bunny just smiled and turned back to the orchestra. "Maybe we should take a proper break. Back in half an hour, please."

With that the orchestra began to bustle and Jack did his best to ignore the amused and sometimes condemning glances at him. He simply stood there in front of the stand Bunny had placed for him feeling about an inch tall and wondering how on earth he was going to ride out this one.

"Jacky" he heard Bunny call and looked up, "Come with me"

Jack followed the tall, dark man towards the door and out of the room into the hall where they stopped. Jack tried his hardest to regain some kind of confidence but really it was no use.

"What happened in there?" Bunny asked as he looked down at the white-haired boy.

Jack gritted his teeth, "I…I don't know. I just screwed up"

"You think you can bring it back? Or should I ask someone else to play?"

"I dunno"

Bunny placed a hand on his shoulder, "I chose you 'cos you impressed me yesterday"

Jack looked up at that, "Really?"

"Yeah. When you were in there with Pitch and played that…what was it? Act three…something or other?"

"More or less"

"Yeah. That was great. You really sounded good so…what happened in there?"

"I don't know. I guess I panicked or something"

As Jack looked up at him he was glad to see him being so compassionate. This was the side of Bunny he liked and wanted to get to know better. He was friendly and warm and altogether easygoing. His smile was undeniably dreamy too and that helped for sure. Yes, Bunny was great when he was like this but then, as Jack might have expected, he went and ruined it.

"Why? Do I make you nervous, mate?"

Jack resisted the urge to snort and denied to himself the fact that it was a little bit true.

"No. I just…I dunno. I had an off moment"

"A very off moment" Bunny joked making Jack scorn internally. "Look. Try it again, and this time don't worry"

"You really wanna risk it?" Jack asked now feeling more annoyed with Bunny than he was embarrassed by his playing.

"Yeah. I heard you play brilliantly yesterday. I'm just hoping it wasn't a fluke"

_"A fluke?!" I'll show you a fucking fluke!" _Jack thought and then forced a thin smile, "Let's find out"

With that, the two re-entered the room and parted ways for a little while. Jack went back to where he'd been sitting and received Tooth's pacification. He wasn't embarrassed any more though. He'd had a fire lit under him once again and this time he was going to show that smug Bunny just what he had.

When their break finished a little while later, Bunny brought them all back to the beginning of the scene. Jack stood at the stand placed out for him and steadied himself as he waited for the piece to begin. As before, the first part he played along with the firsts leading up to his entry on his own. Stealing a quick glance to his section he noticed a few pairs of eyes fixed on him waiting for another blunder, but this time he wouldn't give it. Their lack of faith wasn't enough to quell the desire, no, the need to do well to put that damned Bunny in his place. Placing his bow on the string and finding his fingering, Jack waited for the downbeat and then hit his first F-sharp like a nail with a hammer. He wouldn't allow himself to screw up this time and as he played with the image of Bunny's smirk in his mind's eye, he found the conviction and the mass of talent buried within him to make his playing sound beautiful. No one could have perceived what a difference there suddenly was and as Jack felt the music flow through him, so too did it ring out from his violin and dumbfound the whole orchestra. His tuning was perfect, his scales and phrasing were clean and you could hear the feeling in the sound he created. Truly it was sublime and absolutely no one could fathom how on earth Bunny had gotten him to do it.

When the Allegro* came, Jack hopped into it and played it lightly and happily. That was most definitely not the look on his face though and even though the music was upbeat and fun, Jack's face was shrouded in shadow. He had only served to make himself madder as the piece had gone on and even though he realized he was doing a far better job, he didn't care. He was doing this for one purpose and one purpose alone: to prove to Bunny this his playing the day before wasn't some accident; to prove that he wasn't some fly-by-night, one-hit-wonder hack that had a lucky break one cold winter afternoon. Maybe they had boys that occasionally had a rare good day back where he was from but Jack felt he was something special and he wasn't going to let Bunny think otherwise. He would make the man believe in him and it seemed, as they hit the accelerando* towards the end of the section, that he was starting to do just that. Jack ripped out the final chord across his strings – even though it wasn't written for him to play – and stood there panting softly as he glared at the music for a second and then to Bunny who in turn took just a second to look back and smile before leading them into part three.

What was that? A little 'well done' smile? How dare he! He wasn't some kid! He'd played that better than ever and he didn't need credit for it. He knew he'd done well. _"What an asshole!" _he thought.

When they'd finished the scene, Jack went back to his seat and was caught off guard by the comments on the way. They were not simply full of praise as he had hoped, they all included mentions of what a great pep talk Bunny must have given him and they asked him as he went what had been said to him. When Jack failed to give an answer they all sat back and agreed with one another about what a great leader he must be and Jack was left standing there with his feeling of victory ripped away and an empty, almost hurt feeling in its place.

They had all thought it was Bunny. Every last bit, they said it must have been because of Bunny. They didn't congratulate him. To them, his playing had been all because of Bunny. Not him. They didn't believe in him in the least. He was left alone and unappreciated as always. Even after a great, no, stupendous performance like that none of them assumed it was simply because he was talented. Bunny had been the one responsible in their eyes and as usual Jack was left unappreciated and alone.

Alone, apart from Tooth that was. She threw herself at Jack as he sat down in disbelief and as he turned to her with a glimmer of hope in his heart she dashed it straight away as she too asked what Bunny had said to him to bring a performance like that out. Jack simply looked away in disbelief. He felt cheated of the praise that he should have been getting. Worse than that though, he wasn't angry. He was sad and, as the seconds ticked by, feeling as he was becoming upset. How dare that stupid, self-important ass steal his thunder! Bunny hadn't even done anything and even now as he sat he still heard everyone around him murmuring their praise of his leadership. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair.

"Jack?" Tooth asked as she received no response after a moment or two. "Is everything okay?

Jack shook his head. "He didn't do anything" he nearly whispered.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she quickly became aware of his bother.

"He didn't say anything, he didn't do anything and nobody cares that I played that all on my own."

"Of course they do"

"They all think it's whatever Bunny said to me, and he didn't say anything"

"Nothing at all?"

"No. He just pissed me off. That was it. He didn't say anything encouraging or give me any advice. He just got me angry and…and…I dunno"

"Huh…" said Tooth as she listened to her down friend. He would never usually be so blue after playing like that. He'd be deeply proud of himself and to see him otherwise was unsettling to her. "I don't know what to say to that"

"Forget it. It doesn't matter"

Clearly it did matter but she just didn't know what to do. Gently, she reached out and squeezed his shoulder as he looked down at his knees and then pulled away when they were readied to play again.

A few feet away at the conductor's stand, Bunny smiled as he led his orchestra into the next scene. Jack had really pulled it together that second time and he knew the guy had had it in him. Looking over to where he now sat he puzzled when he saw him looking so sad and then wiped the smile off his face when he realized the confidence he'd seen only moments ago was now completely gone again. What had happened? He'd done a great job and surely a guy like Jack would be pleased with himself. Had somebody said something to him? Was he overly critical of himself? Something just didn't sit right and Bunny did his best to keep an eye on his new favourite player as he continued to conduct.

_Later that day…_

Jack sighed as he got up to get ready for the lesson he had this evening. His favourite student, Jamie Bennett, came in from his hometown of Burgess with his mom for lessons every week and usually the prospect of teaching his favourite student was more than enough to put a smile on his face. Today, though, he had come forward from his abject state of despondency and was now lodged deep within the realms of melancholy. He couldn't have very well gone around and shouted his own praises when lunch had finally come. His head wasn't that big. Still, more and more good words came regarding Bunny's leadership and every time someone spoke to him about it he felt it sting just that little bit more. Why couldn't they have at least thrown him a bone and complimented him? Even as a side note, anything would have been nice.

Still, he'd sucked it up. This week had seemed determined to screw him over and, with that final blow earlier today, it seemed it was winning. Jack was close to giving up on trying to bring it around because it just seemed useless. Whenever things seemed to be getting good he was knocked back down again and left to pick up the pieces for himself. He was getting tired of doing that for one week and he just didn't want to try anymore. This week was rapidly going to hell and in many ways it seemed it was already there. Next would be better. It had to be.

As he walked out down to the back entrance of the concert hall, he stopped, straightened himself out, took a deep breath and smiled falsely. There was no reason Jamie's lesson had to be ruined just because he was feeling like crap and so, with a stiff upper lip, he pushed the door open and stepped outside to greet the boy and his mom who were coming up the steps towards him.

"Hey, Jamie" he said cheerily, "Mrs. Bennett"

"Hi, Jack" the boy said in return

"How you doing?"

"Good, thanks. You?"

"Great. You ready to play?"

"Sure, I guess"

"You guess? Come on, man! Where's the enthusiasm?" Jack said good-naturedly and poking Jamie gently. _"God knows I need some enthusiasm today" _he thought to himself.

"Okay, okay" the boy said and thrusting his case into Jack's arms, "See you in an hour, mom"

Jack and Jamie proceeded to make their way back into the building where Jack gave his lessons during the evening hours on a Thursday. The admins were happy to turn a blind eye to their players using the rooms for free when no one was there. They probably figured they owed it to them after scrimping on their paychecks month after month.

"Have you practiced much this week? Jack asked as they walked.

"Sure"

"You little liar!" Jack laughed

"Hey, you don't know that!"

"You know I'll be able to tell"

"No you won't"

"We all need to practice, Jamie"

"Well, how much have you practiced this week?" the boy asked cheekily.

"I've practiced plenty"

"Yeah, right"

"I did! I had a test yesterday so I needed to"

"You don't take tests"

"It was kind of like an test"

"Did you pass?"

"You can't really fail, but yeah, I passed"

"That's cool"

"If you'd had been there you wouldn't have thought so. The guy running it was the freakiest guy ever!"

"Was it that scary guy I see around here sometimes?"

"Bingo"

"Ew"

"I know, right? Anyway, get your violin out" Jack said as they entered the room, "And bring the scale sheet I gave you last week"

"Aw, come on! Don't make me start with that"

"Scales are important, Jamie"

"Yeah, but, please?"

Jack sighed and smiled. How was it this kid could run rings around him when he wanted to?

"Hey, who's the teacher here?"

"PLEASE?!"

"Okay, fine. What do you want to play?"

"This one" said Jamie thrusting the piano music for some Mozart piece at him. Jack stared at it for a moment and then gave in. Hell, if the kid actually wanted to play something then who was he to tell him to do something else? That was what he liked about Jamie, he always knew what he wanted to play and always looked forward to playing it. He said it once and he'll say it again, there's nothing like teaching a kid that genuinely enjoys what they're doing.

"Okay, hot shot. Let's see what you got" Jack said as he walked over to the piano and sat down. "Ready?"

"Are you?" Jamie fired back making Jack chuckle.

His piano playing wasn't great but it was enough to give Jamie something to play off of. When the boy's entry came he started off really well and continued to play nicely for a while. Of course, there were some moments when he was a little rocky and out of tune but any kid playing the violin could be forgiven for that. Jack continued to smile as he played along with him and quickly forgot about his troubles from earlier as the lesson got underway.

By the time the hour was up he had completely perked up again and sent Jamie away with a mountain of praise. Perhaps it was his wish that somebody should get some well deserved praise that day if he wasn't going to get any that made him do it, but the kid always did well and deserved to be told so.

As Jack packed up and picked up his things to go home, he opened the door and turned to flick the light switch before he left. As soon as he turned around again he yelped as he was suddenly confronted with Pitch looming over him having come out of nowhere.

"Damn it, Pitch!" he said as he straightened himself out and looked up to the frightening man.

"I heard you earlier, Frost"

"Oh, I didn't see you"

"I thought it was better that way"

"That's your call"

"Yes. I do hope our little meeting yesterday hasn't thrown you completely off"

"Far from it" Jack responded feeling his hackles rise once again.

"Hmm. Well, whatever the case, it seems that new conductor certainly brings something out of you. Who'd have thought it'd take a visitor from Australia to bring your playing up to something worth listening to?"

"Bunny didn't do anything"

"Oh no? He must have done something. How else can you have played so well after playing so terribly with just a quick chat in between? "

"He wasn't there yesterday when I played that other solo for you"

"Perhaps not. Still, I wouldn't pass on him just yet. It certainly seems as if he managed to do something. Perhaps his being in charge is what you've been waiting for"

Jack was seconds away from snapping.

"Damn it, Pitch! He didn't say or do anything. It was all me!"

"Why so angry, Jack?"

"Because I'm pissed! Everybody thinks it was him that got me to play well and it wasn't. All he did was piss me off and still everyone thinks he's a miracle worker. I've got the talent but nobody freaking believes it! I don't know why I'm telling all this to you though…"

Pitch just watched him with those piercing eyes and then smiled after a moment.

"You don't like it when people don't appreciate you, do you?"

"You think?" Jack huffed

"Hmm. You're afraid you'll never get noticed for what you really want people to see you for. A good player that needs no one's help to sound good."

Jack sighed frustratedly. Of all the people to get to the root of his problem without being told, why did it have to be Pitch?

"What's it matter?"

Pitch chuckled deeply, "Maybe it's for the best. After all, if people don't believe in you then you can't disappoint them when you fail"

"That's a sad way to look at it"

"And yet, strangely relevant"

"Are you saying I can't play well enough?"

"That goes without saying; you overestimate yourself, Frost. But what I'm really saying is you wouldn't disappoint anyone regardless of how well you play. If nobody believes in you as a player then there's nobody to let down. Not seriously anyway. As evidenced by what happened earlier, don't you agree?"

"Not really"

"Well, you don't have to. Fact is, you shouldn't need to be afraid if no one believes in you. And they don't really, do they?

Jack looked down dejectedly. This was too much.

"You are afraid though, aren't you, Jack?" Pitch said knowingly. "You're afraid you'll never get your chance to impress the world with your playing"

"What's it to you?"

"Nothing" he said with a smile, "But remember, you can't kill fear, Jack. And slowly it will consume you. And perhaps that, Jack, is what would be for the best in the end. After all, would it not be better to fade out quietly than to go down in flames?"

With that, Pitch turned and made his way down the hall before turning a corner and disappearing from sight. Jack was left alone in the doorway with his thoughts and Pitch's words circling around in his head. After a moment or two he slowly sank back into the dark room behind him and let the door close. He let his bag and case fall to the ground and then slid his back down the door until he was sitting. There he stayed alone in the darkness with his head in his hands for a long time just thinking about what Pitch had said. God damn him for being so effective with his words. He was just so cruel and it wasn't fair that he was allowed to get away with things like this. What could Jack do though? Tattle? No. That wasn't him. He didn't whine when things got tough. He would bottle this up and try his best not to let it get the better of him.

He was only human though and what Pitch had said hurt. He knew he was a good player. He didn't need anyone or anything to make him good. He was good all on his own. In fact, he was fantastic. Why then could Pitch always make him feel like dirt?

Jack sat there in the cold, dark room for nearly an hour as he tried to find the strength to stand up and go home. What a rotten week it had been. What a horrible, atrocious, absolutely rotten week.

**Glossary:**

Accelerando: The point when the music gets faster.

Allegro: A style of playing that literally means fast and bright. When speaking terms of piece with several movements (different parts of piece that are written in different styles) it denotes a specific movement or section. This is the way it was used in this chapter.

Deputy: Exactly as it sounds. Every principal player in a section will have deputy behind them to fill in when they are unable to play. Larger sections, like the strings, may have several titled deputies but effectively it's only the first desk that are ever used.

**Pitch is a dick! And Jack didn't cry. I thought about it but I figured Jack is tough and would only cry if he were really, really upset. Maybe not even then.**

**In any case, thanks for reading. I hope this chapter wasn't too dreary. More things will happen soon, I promise. Thanks again for all your reviews and follows. They're majorly appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Evening, all! Hope you're ready for a new chapter 'cos like or not, here it is. Then again, if you weren't you wouldn't have checked for it sooooo yeah. I hope the last chapter wasn't too heavy. I finished it late at night and then edited quickly so I could get it done before bed. As I'm sure you all know, writing when you're tired does not usually yield your best work. Still, I'm glad you all seemed to like it anyway.**

**A grievance for you: You lucky Americans get the DVD thirteen days before we do in the UK! Not fair!**

**Also, my autocorrect keeps switching my American spelling to the British versions. So much for trying to make this more American. Oh well, if you find a 'u' in the word 'colour' then please ignore it.**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 6**

It was the last day of the week and Jack could thankfully see the light at the end of the tunnel. The previous evening had been soul destroying. Even though he'd had kind of an up and down day it had ended in catastrophe. Pitch just couldn't keep himself from coming to make him feel lousy and it had been a struggle for Jack to get home without just giving up. He was so emotionally desiccated that he hadn't even been able to find the strength to call Tooth and let it all out. He knew she would have listened but it wouldn't have been fair to dump all his strife on her anyway. She'd been putting up with his whining all week and he couldn't bring himself to offload everything onto her yet again. She was a good friend to him and she really didn't deserve to be used by Jack as his personal therapist whenever he needed it.

When he'd gotten in, he'd dropped everything by the door and just crawled into bed with just barely enough energy to take off his pants. Everything else, including his favourite blue hoodie, had stayed on and after only what turned out to be about a couple hours' worth of sleep deprivation, the darkness did eventually take him. Now he was awake again and feeling pretty gross from having slept in most of his clothes and as he pushed himself up he hoped today would blitz by. He simply didn't want to face it and wished hard that no one would decide to pick on him, nicely or nastily.

After sluggishly getting ready, Jack made his way to work and quietly skulked into the studio they'd been using since Tuesday. With a distinct lack of his usual gusto, Jack put his violin together at the side of the room and then made his way to his regular seat. He was early and not many of the other players were there yet, nor would they be for a while. Without much enthusiasm he opened his score and flicked through to find a fiddly bit he knew would need a little practice and played the trickier passages through a few times to wake up his fingers. There was no caffeine running through his veins that morning and it was hard to get moving. Still, on he ploughed and eventually he felt himself come slightly to life – albeit still without wanting to be there.

A few minutes later he heard the door open behind him and he turned his head lazily to see who had arrived. It was Bunny, and as they caught each other's eyes the taller man smiled as he walked over.

_"Aw damn" _Jack thought, _"Here we go again". _Not only was he not in the mood for Bunny's sass, he didn't have the will to bounce it back as he had grown used to doing. He just couldn't handle being picked on even though he knew it wouldn't be mean-spirited. Regardless of how much he wished, he knew what was coming and did his best not to look crestfallen as Bunny approached.

"Mornin', Jack" he said in his gorgeous accent that didn't quite stir Jack today as it usually did.

"Good morning" he said quietly and then turned as Bunny went to his stand.

"Thank Skippy it's Friday, eh?"

"Yeah" said Jack as he repositioned his violin to rest on his leg while he reached for the page and then looked up as he saw Bunny move towards him and sit down on the chair right in front. He had a sweet kind of smile Jack hadn't seen before and as he pushed the stand out of the way so he could see Jack properly he crossed his arms on the chair's back and gave him a sincerely sympathetic look.

"I heard what Pitch said to you last night" he stated calmly and suddenly making Jack tense.

"Oh" was all he could reply with.

"Yeah. I was around the corner and I stopped when I heard you both. I wasn't spying, I swear"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it"

"Are you okay?"

"Did you hear all of it?"

"Yeah"

"Then what do you think?"

Bunny just smiled sweetly again, "Don't worry about him, Jack. He's a jackass"

"I know"

"But he still got to you, didn't he?"

Jack sighed and kept his eyes down, "It's less so now than when I first got here but…yeah, he did"

"He always been on your case?"

"Yeah. But he's weird about it. Sometimes he starts by tricking you into thinking he's saying something nice and then he strikes when your guard's down. Other times he just goes in for the kill straight away"

"Yeah, I can see that. He's been creeping me out all week"

"Better get used to it"

The two were quiet for a moment before Bunny reached out and placed a hand on Jack's knee. Jack looked at it and gasped silently as he did so. His hand was big and heavy but warm and strong too. Bunny's touch through the material covering his knee was nice and Jack felt a little quiver inside as it continued to rest there. It completely distracted from his trying to decide whether or not Bunny was being condescending.

"Look, mate, you did great yesterday. That grey old bastard can stick whatever he says up his arse because you're great. I can see that"

Jack smiled a little, "You noticed his greyish tinge, huh?"

"Yeah. He should see a doctor or something"

"Or an exorcist"

"Ha, yeah! But seriously, Jack, don't worry about him. I thought you sounded fantastic yesterday and the day before. You do know you're good, right?"

"I guess"

"You guess? Come on, ya little bleeder" Bunny said as he removed his hands and became more teasing, "You know you've got something special. Puts you ahead of most of the others here"

"How do you figure?" asked Jack feeling a little more perked up, "You've only been here a week"

Bunny shrugged, "Doesn't matter. You only need to see something once to believe in it, and I've been watching you all week"

"You only heard me on my own a couple of times though"

"Once is enough"

"So, should I take that to mean you don't think my playing the other day was just a fluke?"

"Haha. Alright then. Maybe you aren't just a one trick pony"

"Damn straight" Jack said as a smile forced its way onto his lips.

"Cheer up, mate. You're a fantastic violinist which is why…" he said as he stood up, took Jack's music off the stand and walked over to Sandy's chair, "…you, sir, are my new concertmaster"

Jack's eyes practically boggled. "What?!" he coughed.

"I want you as my concertmaster"

"What about Sandy?"

"Poor guy's gonna be out for a few months. Broke some ligaments when he went down. Bad luck I guess. I liked that guy"

"You and me both" said Jack as his attention switched to the stricken man.

"So, get your arse up here" Bunny said as he patted the stand.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked as he suddenly thought about the consequences this would have on his relationship with the rest of the section. It would probably not go down well. Well, at least not with the deputy who would be fuming when she found out.

"We had an early meeting this morning because of the news of Sandy. They all said it's my decision since I'm visiting and I've decided I want you"

"Really?"

"Bloody hell, Jack, how many times do I have to say it?"

Jack gave an amused huff as his smile forced itself to crack his lips open. As he got up and wandered over, Bunny focused on those beautiful pearly whites and began to smile wider himself. Jack truly did have an amazing smile and he couldn't deny he was attracted to the boy. _"Steady, Aster" _he thought to himself as his new concertmaster sat down.

"Feels good, eh?" Bunny asked.

"Yeah. It does kinda" Jack replied modestly. Inside he was jumping for joy and all of his apprehension he'd had that morning now seemed to be gone. Maybe this was the universe's way of paying him back or something. Whatever it was, Jack was happy again and he couldn't believe how quickly things had turned around.

"Fancy a cup of something?" Bunny asked as he continued to watch him. Jack accepted and after placing his violin down on his chair he walked with Bunny to the break room. Together they got drinks and sat down together to chat. Jack learned that Bunny was 28 and had been an associate conductor for the Melbourne Concert Orchestra before he'd been invited to Pittsburgh. He had trained at several places around Australia and in London but had also spent a summer interning with the Berlin Philharmonic which Jack was hugely impressed by. He had grown up about four hours north of Adelaide and was the son of a mining millionaire, hence his being sent to some of the finest music colleges in the world. He said he also had aboriginal blood in him, some tribe called the Pooka from somewhere in South Australia, and had spent a lot of his summers as a kid in the outback on outdoorsy vacations. Jack found his story fascinating and was all the more impressed considering how young Bunny was. It became even more touching when he revealed he had no immediate family left due to their loss in an accident when Bunny was a teenager. By comparison, Jack felt rather boring as he related his story of being born and bred in Burgess a few miles from Pittsburgh, trained in New York and Philadelphia and then moved full time to Pittsburgh when he'd landed his job in the West Pennsylvania Philharmonic. Still, Bunny seemed interested in what he had to say and had plenty of questions. That is, almost as many as Jack had for him.

As they chatted they lost track of time and were very nearly late for rehearsal. Still, it helped to be late with the boss and as they returned to the studio, all eyes turned to them as they entered and walked over to the front of the orchestra. Proudly, Jack took his seat at the front of his section as Bunny greeted them all before he started. He finished by making his announcement about Jack.

"Everyone, I'm sorry to have to tell you that Sandy won't be returning to us straight away. When he fell he broke some ligaments and is out for a few months"

A rumble of muted sorrow emanated from around the room with everyone agreeing Pitch had probably done it on purpose, regardless of whether he had or not. They were all refocused as Bunny announced Sandy's replacement.

"So, I've decided to replace Sandy for the time being with Jack. Everyone, meet your new concertmaster"

Jack looked up and tried to smile as they all looked. Surprisingly he got a fair bit of praise from his section surrounding him which he really hadn't expected. It all seemed pretty genuine too, all aside from the deputy who was obviously forcing out strained congratulations. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tooth was practically having a fit as she tried to express her joy over the decision. She really was a good friend and Jack promised himself he'd take her out to dinner soon to thank her properly.

Today, Bunny had decided to rehearse the whole of Act four; his reasoning being the age old truth that an audience only really remembers the beginning and the end of a performance and if they were lacklustre then there would be no point in playing. Besides, that is probably what the ballet company would be expecting above everything else – apart from the solos – and Bunny wasn't about to let his debut be marred by bad reviews. As such, he decided to practice the finale first as it required a lot of energy and he knew the orchestra would be flagging if he tried to drag them through the rest of Act four beforehand.

Leading them in, he was surprised by the sound they produced first thing in the morning and was genuinely impressed when they got to the finale's rapturous crescendo. Glancing to the strings he smiled as he saw them going hell for leather with their bowing and had to chuckle to himself as he watched them give it all they had. The brass were pretty hot as well and the percussion were really going for it. It was the strings, however, that he was most interested in and, as usual, he made sure to regularly glance at Jack. The guy seemed really engrossed in making sure to play well and he wondered whether it was his desire to live up to the standard expected of a concertmaster or the chat they'd had earlier on. He'd seemed so down when he'd first arrived but now he seemed on top of the world as he sawed away at his violin and in the end Bunny decided not to speculate. There was no denying Jack was graceful despite the violence required by the music and even now as he tried to squeeze every last decibel from his instrument, he did it with an elegance that Bunny had rarely seen outside of the world's greatest orchestras. He was one to watch, that was for darn sure.

_Later that day…_

On Friday they were always let out early and when they were dismissed, Jack walked out with Tooth who would not shut up about how pleased she was for him. He couldn't help smiling as she praised him and he had to tell her to stop when he found himself getting bashful. He was pleased for himself too and as the pair walked down the street he looked up to the sky where the clouds were just about letting through some blue and sighed contentedly. Perhaps this week wasn't all that bad after all, although it seemed he owed its turn around to Bunny. Strangely that didn't annoy him as much as he thought it might and as he considered the conductor's overall affect on turning his week around he couldn't get mad at him despite sensibility trying to force him to. In all honesty he liked Bunny and he hoped, maybe, that they could talk like they did that morning again. He was a nice guy, if just a little bit of an ass, and Jack was really starting to like him.

When they parted ways, Jack decided to dump his stuff at his apartment and then took a cab to Ross Park mall. He'd decided at some point in the day that wearing the same hoodie to work that you slept in was pretty disgusting and even though it was his favourite, perhaps it was time to mix it up a little.

When he arrived he headed straight to Abercrombie & Fitch. It may have been a little pricey but he figured he could use a little retail therapy after his week, despite it now being considered to have been fairly okay. Besides, Abercrombie always looked pretty good on him and he figured he may as well do it before the looming payment on his violin put him off. Like many musicians, Jack couldn't afford to buy a violin when he'd graduated and had to return the violin he'd used in college. He certainly wasn't able to ask his parents for money since he only had his mom who didn't have much anyway. It wouldn't have been fair to ask her to remortgage the house even though she probably would have done so for him. That left him with only one option: borrowing from the bank. At $35,000 and nearly one hundred and fifty years old, his violin left him with hefty repayments and the insurance on the side was a bitch. Still, it was a necessary expense and one that, in the end, Jack was extremely glad he'd made. His violin had become like a best friend to him and he treasured it more than anything he had ever owned. Having it meant he didn't have a car or managed to spend a lot on anything else or even was able to live in a great apartment. None of that mattered though when he was doing what he loved, playing. One day it would be his and that thought was what kept driving him onwards day after day.

Back in the present, Jack walked around the dimly lit Abercrombie store and looked through a few stacks of clothes as he searched for something he liked. He wondered if, at 24, he was getting too old to be shopping in this store and, even more importantly, nothing seemed like it could match up to his favourite hoodie. Still, it was gross to wear the same thing all the time and he didn't want to get a reputation.

As he continued to look around he began to notice an extremely attractive and well-toned man shopping on the other side of the store. He must have been roughly his age and as they kept moving around it wasn't long before they were looking through piles of clothes on the same table. As they searched, Jack became aware that the man was checking him out much in the same way as he had done and it wasn't long before their eyes met and they exchanged smiles.

"That'd look great on you" Jack offered as he saw the man pick up a sweater. He felt adrenaline begin to surge around his body as he took his chance to speak to him.

"You think so?" the man asked as he held it up higher.

"Try it on"

"Okay" the guy said wryly as he placed the sweater down and took off the jacket he was already wearing. Jack's eyes widened a little as he saw the incredibly tight shirt he had on and saw that the jacket really wasn't showing off the whole, perfect package. Second guessing himself, Jack suddenly searched for any sign that the guy actually worked here and was relieved when he realized he hadn't made an idiot of himself in front of the guy who had clearly seen him boggle a little when he's taken off his outerware.

"Look any good?" he asked with a sly smile.

"Oh yeah" Jack said as he struggled maintain his confidence, "But I bet anything looks good on you"

"Thanks" the guy said as he shucked off the sweater and dressed himself up again. "You come here often?"

"From time to time"

"Well, I'll see you around sometime" the guy said with a wink before turning to go to the cash register. Jack didn't reply, he was simply glad that he'd been able to flirt with someone and they'd responded. Not that he had a problem with flirting, it was just nice to know that guys would respond and that he'd been able to tell the guy was gay. Then again, how could he not be? That ripped and that well groomed? No way could he have been straight this far from Los Angeles.

As Jack watched him go he managed to score one more glance from the guy before he left the store and then he turned back to search for a hoodie. Eventually he decided on one and much like his favourite it was blue. He didn't berate himself for not trying another colour. Blue brought out his eyes and looked good with his extremely fair skin and hair. Not many colours worked that well with his complexion although he'd found he could never really go wrong with blue and black. Dark greens worked pretty well and although he didn't like to admit it, so did a wide variety of pinks. When Tooth had discovered that one day during college he'd had to endure weeks worth of dress up. Secretly he'd enjoyed it but would never let on. Not wanting to leave with just the blue he picked up something in black as well before going to Macy's to try and balance out his expenditure. If he didn't watch himself he'd probably end up taking half the mall home and then have to panic when the time to pay rent came.

When he got home he texted Tooth to see what she was up to. When he found she was busy he decided to spend the night in alone with Chinese food. He was pretty tired anyway and not that he didn't have other friends but he didn't really want to hang out with anyone else. That is, no one that he had access to and as he settled in for the evening he looked out the window and began to think about Bunny. The guy can't have had many friends in Pittsburgh. In fact, he probably had no one to hang out with and that made Jack feel pretty sorry for him. He didn't seem like the kind of guy that would want to spend his whole weekend alone and he wished he'd thought of that earlier. He would have been glad to show Bunny around and keep him company for a few hours and who knows, maybe they'd get along really well and want to hang out some more.

Jack sighed as he brushed it off. It wasn't his problem but he couldn't help thinking he had some kind of responsibility to make Bunny feel more welcome. Then again, Bunny was technically his boss and wouldn't it be brownnosing if he cosied up to him? Or just plain weird? This was all overshadowed by the fact that Bunny still kind of annoyed him with his smirking. It did seem he always thought he knew better or would otherwise just look as if he were laughing at him. Jack wondered if he were crazy for thinking that, especially after Bunny being so nice to him earlier, but why did he still annoy him so much? Perhaps it was because he knew he found Bunny dead sexy and by now really did have a serious crush on him. He just wouldn't admit it to himself and as he considered that he began to wonder if the reason Bunny annoyed him so much was because he had been subconsciously and unwittingly presenting himself as the perfect object of Jack's desire which was going head to head with his conscious effort to deny he had any desire for Bunny other than friendship. Despite his best efforts he knew he was losing the battle. Bunny was just too hot and he really had no chance of preventing himself from falling head over heels in lust for him. He'd wanted Bunny from the moment he first laid eyes on him; he just hadn't admitted it.

Jack didn't have a tantrum this time, he wasn't going to try and defend himself from his own accusations although it wouldn't be the first time. He simply flopped back on the couch and continued to stare out of the window. He wondered if somewhere in the city Bunny was doing the same and watching the snow begin to fall again as evening fell. He hoped he wasn't lonely and soon enough Jack found himself traipsing to bed in order to be up early. He had to go to Burgess tomorrow to give his weekend lessons and the train left at 8AM. As he tried to go off to sleep he found he couldn't do so without stopping his conscious effort to keep Bunny out of his mind. With a sigh, he let down his guard and allowed the gorgeous Australian man to dance around his head until he happily stepped into his dreams thereafter. Jack slept peacefully that night, the first night he'd been able to do so all week.

**Ta da! Another chapter done. FYI, if you want to hear the finale of Swan Lake (which by the way is gorgeously amazeballs) you can find it here (skip to about 3:00) (YOU HAVE TO PUT THE DOTS IN YOURSELF): youtube com/watch?v=mZcSZ_-2fQg&list=PL10D6ABA89BF70168**

**It's funny how much it sounds like the score to E.T. when you listen to it. I guess John Williams is a Tchaikovsky fan.**

**You know, it was actually quite hard finding a colour Jack looked good in other than blue. I downloaded a picture of him from Google and then fiddled around with the colours of his hoodie in GIMP (the free photoshop). Maybe it's because he's soooooo white but it's hard to dress him in lots of different colours. Very dark green seems to work nicely but he does look a little like an elf. He looks pretty hot in black and grey. Meh. You all should try it for yourselves if you want a laugh. Also, is it hoody or hoodie? I don't know.**

**Thanks for reading. Thanks for your awesome reviews and follows! You guys are fabulous!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm now on Tumblr! Look me up: .com**

**I put up one of the pictures I was talking about in the notes from last chapter where I changed the colour of Jack's hoodie to try and find another colour that suited him. Let me know what you think. And by the way, thanks for the FYIs on the spelling of hoodIE.**

**New song for you to listen to for this chapter if you want to. It's Jupiter from Holst's The Planets and you'll recognize it if you listen to it for long enough (especially if you're British, it's used in a lot of adverts here): watch?v=Nz0b4STz1lo**

**Anyway, JACKRABBIT HO!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 7**

The weekend went by uneventfully and Monday came around again. This morning Jack was actually looking forward to going to work and was finally admitting to himself that his good feeling was pretty much solely based on the prospect of seeing Bunny again. They guy had been kind to him and he liked nice people. That, and he could have a little fun with him which meant really they should have been getting along like a house on fire by now. Today Jack decided he was going to try to make just that happen and as he burst through the door to the studio they'd been using the previous week he stood there for a moment until he was sure he'd garnered enough attention to state his presence. He wasn't particularly an attention whore but, admittedly, he was a comedian and a comedian loves an audience.

"Mornin', everyone" he called as he approached his section and dropped his stuff around his chair. It felt weird to be calling he principal chair his but it was good weird and a feeling he was going to make sure he enjoyed every moment of while it lasted. In return he received characteristic Monday morning responses and he knew it was up to him, as per usual, to perk everyone up.

"Come on, everyone. It's a bright new day. Everybody excited to play say woo!" he cheered and threw his hands up in the air. He didn't expect a response and he didn't receive one. He tried again, "Everyone say woo!" Again, no response but this time he got a few chuckles. That would be enough for now and after brushing them off he sat down and opened his case on his lap. After putting his violin together he tuned up quickly and then tried to make friends with the woman sitting next to him. It appeared the weekend hadn't been long enough to quell her disdain for him being promoted above her and he didn't receive the same kind of cheeriness that he doled out. _"Oh well" _he thought as he turned away and sifted through the music on his stand. After a little of Tristan and Isolde they'd be jumping into something new for their own programme and this time Jack had actually taken the time to see what it was they would be playing. A huge smile had been plastered on his face when he'd read the words 'The Planets – Holst' on the rehearsal sheet they'd been sent last year – which he'd had to dig out of one his bags where it had been previously stuffed – and as he sat in his seat he had to fight against the urge to jump around. The Planets suite was a magnificent score that was hugely clever and complex. Jack had loved it since he'd first heard it in high school and relished how challenging it was for him as a player. It was just what he'd been craving and he was so glad he would finally be able to play it in a professional orchestra. Sure, it too was another piece to be expected in most orchestras' repertoire but he didn't care. It was modern and daring and in all simply triumphant. He was desperate to start and no amount of dreary Wagner could dampen his spirits today – although he knew it would try its hardest.

When it got to 9:20AM and Bunny still hadn't arrived everyone began to wonder what was going on. It wasn't normal for them to start this late and their new conductor had hardly been late at all last week. Finally, at 9:35AM the doors opened and in walked Bunny with North and the other admins in tow.

"Sorry, everyone. We're just trying to sort something out" he announced gravely as he walked in and then stopped halfway, "Jack, could you come with us for a second?"

Jack tensed up again. That didn't sound like a happy invitation and as he slowly rose he resisted the urge to bite his lip as he wandered over.

"What's up?" he asked as he got to Bunny and started walking towards the door with him.

"Trouble"

There was no time to ask anything else as they stepped out of the room and into the hall where Jack also saw Pitch waiting with the group. Jack looked around at all of their faces and saw regret in each of their expressions. All aside from Pitch who simply looked menacing as usual. Jack turned his head when he felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder and looked up to the warm but troubled face of North.

"Jack, we have problem" the towering man said to him in his heavy Russian accent. "We are late starting because of meeting over running and meeting was about you?"

"Me?" Jack asked as he felt his grip on his violin tighten.

"Yes. Unfortunately, it seems not everyone is happy with your new appointment as concertmaster"

"Oh" said Jack knowing who was behind this and deciding not to make it obvious by turning to Pitch. "Well, what's wrong with me?"

"There are…concerns that you can't meet demands being a leader"

"What?"

"It has been suggested that, perhaps, you can't fully fulfill the position of concertmaster"

"I can! I promise you, I can!"

"Well, yes, but saying is a lot different than-"

"Oh let's just cut the crap" Bunny cut in, "Pitch doesn't think you're up to it and decided to cause a fuss"

They grey-tinged ogre looked over sneeringly at the new guy but was simply met with a glare of discontent.

"Despite my new colleague's repugnant wording of it, yes, it was I who brought up your track record which is clearly very much against you. Your playing and your attitude is simply not up to the level required by this orchestra and furthermore it was reckless of Mr. Bunnymund to even think of bringing you in over the players already ahead of you"

"Already ahead of me?" Jack asked

"There's a reason you sit where you have been put" Pitch said as he narrowed his eyes, "And you'd do well to remember that"

"Pitch" North said expressing his distaste with the terrifying man's way with words, "there is no need to be unkind." Turning back to Jack he became more sympathetic again, "Look, Jack. It is not that you are bad player, it is just that Pitch reminds us that there are rules when this sort of thing happens"

"You said I could choose whoever I wanted" Bunny cut in once again as he looked around at the management.

"And where was I when this decision was made?" Pitch asked starkly.

"It was Friday morning. I'm sure you were invited"

"Oh, was I? Well I would never have agreed to such a thing"

"Perhaps that's why you weren't there" Bunny said as he narrowed the gap between them.

"Perhaps you forget your place here"

"Perhaps my place is what I make of it"

"Perhaps you should learn to toe the line"

"Perhaps you should take the stick out your arse"

The two then glared at each other, neither one backing down and as a few silent seconds ticked by, North eventually decided to step in and assert his dominance.

"Easy boys" he said as he stepped between them and trying to draw attention back to the shorter, nervous looking guy standing nearby, "Look, Jack, we think you are good player, we really do"

"Most of you" he said feeling confident enough not to let Pitch get to him this morning.

"But we must obey rules and I am forced to ask, are you sure you understand responsibility of concertmaster?"

"Responsibility has nothing to do with it" Pitch cut in again, "the fact is he cannot reproduce a standard of playing at the drop of a hat. If you'd had heard him yesterday you would have seen that he's not right for the post"

"I brought it back though" Jack said firmly.

"On your second try, after being dragged aside to be told not to worry and to be the best player you can be" he said in the sarcastic, baby-talk way Jack had become used to whilst gesturing towards Bunny.

"It was not a pep talk" Jack said gravely.

"It doesn't matter. You didn't get it on your first try and that is what is expected of you. You are NOT up to this post, Jack"

"Hey!" Bunny cut in, "Who the hell do you think you are? I chose Jack because he's a fantastic player and the only reason you won't admit it is because you just can't fathom showing even the slightest bit of praise to someone who you don't view as fitting the right description"

"I beg your pardon" Pitch spat

"Jack is great. I know he's great, these guys know he's great and if you weren't so concerned with saving face and maintaining that angel of death image you'd say he was great. He's the perfect choice for Sandy's replacement, and I don't appreciate you blasting Jack for having done nothing wrong. He's perfect"

_"Did Bunny just call me perfect?" _Jack thought as his mind suddenly started to run amuck with the phrase. He quickly had to crush the desire to say 'Aw, thanks. I think you're perfect too! Let's kiss on it!'.

Watching at the two men shoot daggers at one another, Jack found himself caught between a rock and a hard place. He thought for a moment and then picked up his violin. He wasn't about to let Pitch ruin his chances to lead and he had to make sure he got this right. He prayed he'd remember the whole thing as he placed his bow on the string and then, with as much confidence as he could manage, began to play the solo line from the Act one Pas de Deux he'd both butchered and glorified last Friday.

Not having to worry about the orchestra, he was able to concentrate on making his playing as romantic and passionate as possible and although he tried to keep his eyes on his fingers he darted away from time to time to see the management watching him and looking impressed. All aside from Pitch who was doing his best to look as if he knew he was right all along.

Jack only played up to the low C's that finished the Andante* but it seemed like it was enough to convince them.

"How was that?" he asked feeling a little cocky.

North just looked around at the others, all aside from Pitch, and then said, "I have no problem. Anyone else?"

"I think you know I do" Pitch said despite everyone else's nodding.

"Well, that is settled then. Jack will remain concertmaster until Sandy's return"

"Great" Jack said with a smile, "Thanks, everyone". As they began to leave he was startled when he turned to see Pitch standing far too close as usual when he wanted be intimidating.

"This isn't over, Frost" he said before turning and skulking away. Jack just stuck out his tongue as he watched the man go and then turned to Bunny was looked extremely pleased with the outcome.

"Thanks" Jack said a little bashfully as he tried to force himself to hold Bunny's gaze.

"Ah, don't mention it" the taller man said as he opened the door and ushered Jack inside. The two wandered back to their places and Bunny announced briefly what had happened without too many details. Everyone seemed content with the fact that Jack would remain their concertmaster – all aside from the deputy – and not wasting any more time they dived straight into rehearsing.

When they got around to playing some of The Planets, Jack made sure to shine as he played and didn't allow himself to slip once – at least not noticeably. If they believed enough in his ability to hold this spot in trust for Sandy then he was going to prove them right. To hell with Pitch and his usual meddling, he was here and he was going to do a good job.

There was only a tiny nag at the back of Jack's mind as he played that the unpleasantness with Pitch earlier on was only the beginning of something much worse to come. The fact that he'd said "this isn't over" coldly reminded him that he would have to be on his guard from now on. Fortunately, the wave of pride he was riding didn't allow him to worry about it for long. That, and the fact that Bunny and stuck up for him made him feel like a shy, giggling schoolgirl on the inside.

_That evening…_

As the day's rehearsals drew to a close, Jack met up with Tooth so she could let loose all of the things she'd wanted to say that afternoon but hadn't had the opportunity owing to the fact that Jack was no longer by her side. As Jack listened to her garble on almost uncontrollably he looked around and saw Bunny quietly packing away the things on his stand as the rest of the orchestra moved away from where they'd been sitting. He looked kind of lonely as he did it and Jack's heart went out to him as he remembered what he'd been thinking a few nights ago about Bunny's current social situation. He now hated the idea of leaving the guy alone for yet another night and before he knew what he was doing, he turned to Tooth and interrupted her mid-sentence.

"Hey, Tooth. Crazy idea…"

"Ooh, the best kind!"

"What would you say to inviting Bunny out for dinner tonight?"

"That's your crazy idea?" she asked disbelievingly.

"Well, yeah. Why not?"

"No, no, I mean, usually your crazy ideas involve something impossible and a little more…abstract"

"Well, inviting the boss out for dinner is a little off the wall for us"

"Ew. When you say it like that…"

"Come on, Tooth! You like him, don't you?"

"I did before you called him 'the boss'. Now it's weird"

"Pleeeease, Tooth! Pleeeeease!"

The colourfully clad girl hung on his pleading for a moment before smiling and putting definition to his begging.

"You sure I wouldn't be in the way? 'Cos you know, it would be weird for you to bring me along on a date"

Jack's face darkened instantly, "It's not a date. I simply suggested we ask him out as friends. How did you get date from that? It's not a date."

"Oh, you know. I just figured you were crushing on him so hard that you'd-"

"Damn it, Tooth. I am not!" He wasn't ready to admit it yet although he couldn't really think of a reason why not.

"Okay, okay, denial. Fine, let's go ask him out"

"Great!" Jack said before spinning and walking off. He stopped when he put what he assumed was Tooth's intended meaning to her words and turned back to shoot her a look of contempt. She just smiled and waved in return before following.

Jack felt his heart begin to race as he walked up to Bunny and as he strode up confidently he forgot to think of an opening line. When Bunny turned to look at him he simply stood there with his mouth open and then clamped it shut when nothing came out.

Bunny looked at the suddenly stricken boy in front of him and brought out his smirk which he'd been keeping hidden for most of the day.

"Y'alright, Jacky?" he asked hoping to elicit some heated response from his concertmaster.

Jack just stared awkwardly for a moment before Tooth leant around him and spoke.

"He wanted to know if you'd like to go for dinner with us. Maybe let us show you around a little?"

Jack closed his eyes and in his mind slapped his hand into his face. Why did he have to screw up in front of Bunny again?

"Is that right, Jack?" Bunny asked as he suppressed a laugh, "You wanted to ask me out for dinner?"

Jack nodded silently and then internally slapped himself a second time. Why hadn't he spoken?! Why was he suddenly so shy and tongue-tied?!

"Okay, that'd be great. You wanna meet somewhere or go straight from here?"

"Well, we can leave our stuff here and go straight out" Tooth said

"You know what, you can put it in my car and I can give you guys a ride home later if you like"

"Sure. Sound good to you, Jack?" she asked as she nudged her frozen friend. He squeaked out a feeble "Sure" before giving up and dusting off the previous week's longing for instant death. He wasn't even going to ask this time what was wrong with himself. There were clearly so many things.

As the three made their way out to the parking garage under the concert hall, Tooth chatted to Bunny about Pittsburgh and what kind of city it was. After breezing through the type of person your average Pittsburgher was and their fixation on the Steelers, and then blitzing through the fact that the winter there was hellish, she concentrated on trying to condense which neighbourhoods were okay and which ones were bad. Jack was caught up in a haze of his own humiliation and didn't hear most of it. He chimed back in when he made out the sounds of words detailing where they could go to eat.

"Somewhere in Shadyside" Jack suddenly blurted out causing the other two to stop, look back at him and stare.

"What's that?" Tooth asked bemusedly.

"We should go somewhere nice so Bunny doesn't get scared away. I figure Shadyside would give us something good. Or Lawrenceville"

"Are you paying for all of us?"

"Oh, come on. We shouldn't worry about money if this is Bunny's first outing"

"Actually, that's my neighbourhood. I looked around a little already so I'd be happy to try something a little different"

"Really?" Tooth asked impressed by his living arrangements, "Well, there is this little Italian place by Jack's apartment."

Jack's eyes suddenly lit up, he loved that place.

"Yeah! Let's go there"

"Italian sounds fine. Everyone hop in" Bunny said as he pulled out his keys and zapped open the doors on the shiny, brand new BMW they had approached. Jack looked at the beautiful car and marvelled for a moment at how much they must have been paying him.

"This is yours?"

"Yeah. I leased it as soon as I got here. I figured I'd need to drive in everyday if I took the place the orchestra sorted out for me"

"In Shadyside?"

"Yeah."

_"Wow" _Jack thought. Wherever Bunny was living must have been nice. There were some awesome places in that area but most came with a price tag he'd never be able to cover on his salary. Maybe at some point he could work his way into seeing Bunny's place, after all it would be pretty awesome to see inside Bunny's home. _"Stop it!" _he thought as his mind once again began to take liberties with the idea of being invited back to Bunny's place.

As they all climbed into the fancy car, Bunny fired it up and headed out onto the streets of downtown. It didn't take long for Tooth to direct him out of the maze of tall buildings and towards the shorter ones in the area where Jack lived. Soon they pulled up outside the restaurant and got out of the car to go in.

"Y'okay, Jacky?" Bunny asked as they walked towards the door, "You haven't said much this whole time"

"I uh…I was elsewhere"

"Right." Bunny said knowingly, "You know, you don't have to be so nervous around me. I won't bite"

That kicked Jack into life.

"Nervous? Don't overestimate yourself, Aster. And by the way, who's called Aster?"

"Ha! There you are" he said before pulling open the door for Tooth and then following her in leaving Jack stunned at the realization that he'd been goaded into saying something. He quickly scurried inside when he saw he was out in the cold on his own and followed the other two as they were led to a table.

As the evening went on Jack kept teetering between silent embarrassment and coerced courage but it never became clear to him that Bunny knew exactly what he had to do to provoke a response from him. All he needed was to tease him or taunt him a little and all of a sudden the cute guy was yammering and firing back cheery replies as they continued their repartee. He'd been referring to Jack as cute a lot lately but, unlike the cocky violinist sitting across from him, Bunny had no problem with admitting to himself that he found Jack attractive. There was something about him that was strangely, almost mystically alluring and he just hadn't figured out what it was yet. It didn't matter though really, he knew he liked Jack as a friend too and felt pretty lucky that he'd fallen in with such a nice, albeit kinda crazy, guy from the outset.

All evening the two kept catching one another's eye and holding it for just a few milliseconds more than what could be considered friendly. Jack couldn't help his cheeks from reddening when Bunny gave him that smirk and this time he noticed it was somewhat less judgemental than it had been. It was sort of warm although still teasing and it made him feel bubbly inside as the feeling marinated within him. Bunny could see the effect he was having on Jack and was pleased to see him looking like he was. He was shifting around in his seat and was making both obvious and useless efforts to try and look relaxed. It was sweet and Bunny hoped as he continued to watch him that he'd read his actions properly. Perhaps something was starting to happen and…well, he'd just have to wait and see.

When the check came Bunny insisted on paying despite being invited out by his two new friends and then led them back to the car to drive them home. Tooth lived closer and threw herself at Bunny when the time came for her to go. She had been chatting away all evening and barely allowing Jack to get a word in. That is, when he wasn't bantering with Bunny. In any case, it meant that Jack had learned just as much as she had about their new conductor and was happy that she now liked him so much too. After she got out, Bunny had to ask Jack if he wanted to ride shotgun before he pulled off and once again Jack found himself feeling awkward in the same way as earlier.

_"Just relax", _he told himself; but it was no use. Bunny made him undeniably nervous and unlike before he knew exactly why. Being alone with Bunny - outside of work and in the close confines of his car – allowed Jack to become extremely well acquainted with the details of his gorgeous face, his body, the faint scent of his cologne, his demeanour and overall his total, unequivocal gorgeousness. He really was a perfect human being, or at least he was in Jack's eyes, and he'd never felt this way about anyone else before. Perhaps it was the fear of screwing up any chance of getting Bunny to like him that was making him do just that but it seemed the Australian man did indeed like him anyway and so that begged the question, why was he still so nervous?

Sensibility would have told him it was simply because he was alone with his crush, and after all, doesn't everyone get a little stupid when that happens? Bunny just seemed so calm though and that, like little cracks, began to drain away Jack's blind sightedness and ate away at the nervous but excited feeling he felt inside. That wasn't quite the blessing he was hoping for though and as the moments ticked by he started to think that if Bunny wasn't behaving the same way as him then didn't that mean he wasn't interested in the same way?

That sudden bombshell knocked some sense into him and as he felt his excited high crash he became a little disappointed. Yes, he'd told himself that he liked Bunny but only as a friend initially. He'd only just started to admit to himself that he found Bunny attractive and had opened himself up to the chance of that leading somewhere. Now that there was not even the possibility for that to go any further he felt really let down and all of a sudden he found himself no longer tongue-tied.

"Is this the place?" he heard Bunny ask as they pulled up outside his apartment building.

"Yeah, this is it" he said trying not to sound too dejected.

"Looks nice"

"It's better on the inside, I swear"

"Ha. I'm sure it is. You know, I had a great time tonight"

"Yeah, me too. Thanks for coming out"

"Thanks for taking me out. I've been wanting to take a look around but it feels kinda weird going out alone in a strange city"

"I know that feeling"

"Ah yeah. New York, wasn't it? Where you trained?"

"Partly, yeah. That was easier than Pittsburgh though"

"Tell me about it" laughed Bunny.

They were silent for a moment.

"So" Jack eventually chirped, "you leaving anyone at home while you're here?"

"What do you mean?" Bunny asked inquisitively.

"Family? Friends? Girlfriend?"

"Na. Friends sure but no one else really. Haven't had a girlfriend in a very, very long time"

"Oh" Jack said as he assumed what he had been hoping against was confirmed. He'd said 'girlfriend' and hadn't hinted at anything close to 'boyfriend'. That must be it then, no hope. Bunny was straight and his chances were over. Scratch that, they had never existed. "Well, I'm glad we could make you feel welcome"

"I hope you can carry on doing that"

"Huh?"

"I hope we can go out again soon. You, me and Tooth"

"Oh. Yeah, sure. This was fun, I'd love to do something like this again."

"Okay, great. Well, we'll talk at work"

"Sure"

Again they were silent and Jack wondered if that was a suggestion for him to leave. Before he had a chance to decide, Bunny carried on.

"How 'bout you, Jack? You got everyone important to you nearby?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Hometown's not far away and I've got plenty of friends in town"

"Anyone special?"

Jack smiled, "Just Tooth, but not like that"

"You two aren't…?"

"Oh God, no! Ew!"

Bunny laughed, "I thought not. I wondered at the start but after seeing you two tonight I figured maybe not. Still, I thought I'd ask"

"No. Me and Tooth aren't…ew. No. Nothing like that"

"She with anyone?"

"Not as far as I know. Why? Interested?"

"Haha. She's great but nah."

"Well, to each their own, I guess"

"And then some"

"Hm"

"Oh, before I forget. You and me'll need to start having private rehearsals together."

"Huh?"

"Since you've got solos I need to work with you to get them right"

"Who says I can't get them right on my own?"

"I do. You may be playing but I'll be damned if you don't play it the way I tell you to play it"

"Hey! That's not the way they do it with guest players"

"But you're on the payroll"

"So?"

"So I get to tell you what to do"

"That hardly seems fair"

"Oh yeah, what you gonna do about it, Jacky?"

Jack couldn't help but smile. Usually that would nag at him but he'd had a good time with Bunny and knew he was only doing it to try and get a rise out of him. The prospect of rehearsing alone with him was exciting though and had it not been for the lack of hope for sexy fun times – as Jack had started to put it – with Bunny then he would have been jumping for joy. Still, getting to be alone with him meant he could goof off and have some fun. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

Bunny just chuckled as he saw Jack's face. "Well, Jacky, it was-"

"Jack" he said defiantly, not letting him get away with it this time.

"Fine, Jack. This was fun. I'll see you tomorrow"

"Yeah, see ya" he said as he reached for the handle as he started to get out. He didn't really know how to leave it. Handshake? Hug? Polite nod? He lingered for a moment and Bunny seemed to be faced with the same dilemma. Eventually Jack just got out and walked quickly up to his front door. He waved to Bunny before watching him drive off and then flopped back against the door as he cringed at the memory of how he'd behaved.

It was more than that now though. Bunny was off the table, or at least he thought he was. He figured what had been said pretty much excluded Bunny from any kind of romantic involvement and not that he was specifically angling for that – at least not officially in his head – but it had been nice to have that door potentially open for a while. Jack sighed as he started to let it go and pushed himself up again to go inside.

It took him until he got into bed before he realized he'd left his violin and bag in Bunny's car. "Aw crap!" he groaned out into the dark, silent air. No chance of sex with Bunny and he'd lost his violin. Great.

Funnily enough he no longer shied away from debating the prospect of sex between them in his mind. Maybe it was because he now knew for sure he wasn't going to get any.

_"Stupid Mondays…"_

**Glossary:**

Andante: In this case the section (usually known as a movement) from a piece that is performed moderately slowly. Translates as meaning at a walking pace.

**Gah! Why couldn't Burgess have been near New York City?! I don't know anything about Pittsburgh! If you live there and are angered by my sheer balls up of writing this based around there then I do wholeheartedly apologise!**

**So, what do you think? I hope it hasn't become sucky now that we're deep into the story. Thank you all for your reviews and follows. I love to hear what you think and am happy to receive anything you have to say.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi everyone. Sorry it took a few days to get this one up. I wanted to write a long ass chapter and so that's just what I've done. It's still not as long ass as I wanted but it reached a good stopping point and I figured 'meh, that's enough for now'.**

**For the ballet dancer that Jack meets about halfway through I lifted a name of a character I didn't know existed. You'll see which one I used when we get there but I think in the movie the name is used for one of Jaime's peeps. Since no one knows who that is, I used it hoping it won't screw up canon too badly. If it does, substitute the name for something of your own liking.**

**Onward to glorious jackrabbit!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 8**

The next morning Jack hurried to work hoping to God Bunny hadn't for some reason removed his violin from the trunk of his car. He wished he'd gotten his cell number the previous evening and even though such a wish would have played havoc with his imagination as of late, he was too focused on retrieving his violin to expend the energy on it right now.

He arrived at the concert hall early as he had done last week hoping it was a habit of Bunny's to do the same. He charged straight to the studio and was dismayed to find nobody around just yet. Turning back into the hall and running along Jack found himself alone again as he searched for the Australian man. After realizing that he was just going to have to wait and see, Jack stomped along to the break room and nervously vended some coffee from the machine. It was bad tasting and weak as usual but he didn't want to go across the street to the Starbucks and risk missing Bunny as he waited anxiously for his violin. He wanted to pounce on Bunny as soon as he arrived and he wouldn't let him go until he got what he wanted – he didn't allow his brain to run away with one either.

This was typical. Every time he got along well with Bunny he always did something to mess it up. True, this time it wasn't as embarrassing as his recent verbal blunders but it was still the principal of the situation that made him feel like an idiot once again. He wasn't usually so goofy and self-sabotaging. He usually prided himself on being slick and quick-witted. Okay, yes, there had been times in the past when he'd become tongue-tied and goofed off to try and impress a boy but it was never to the extreme degree of awkwardness that it had been with Bunny. Now that he had admitted to himself that he did indeed like Bunny and had allowed his imagination to put out some feelers regarding their interaction, he was feeling strangely realigned inside. Denial, it seemed, did strange things with his behaviour and although he wasn't happy with himself for backing down he did feel a lot less conflicted. What use was that though? After all, he was pretty certain Bunny wouldn't be interested in him anymore and so maybe it was the fact that now he was ready to explore any possibilities of it going further, they had been taken away from him and as a result he was feeling pretty deflated. That must have been it. Why else would he now not be feeling nervous but excited to see Bunny this morning? Yes, his violin situation was worrying but not to the extent that it would distract from preparing to look like a moron in front of the dashing man. So there it was, plain and simple: now that Bunny was off the table as a romantic object, Jack no longer felt anxious about seeing him. As he sipped his disgusting coffee and waited, he couldn't decide whether that was a good or bad thing.

A long time passed and many people had come and gone through the break room doors. It was getting closer to nine o'clock by now and Jack found himself getting more and more concerned as the minutes ticked by. What if Bunny wasn't coming in today for some reason? What if he was coming in late like he had last week? He wouldn't be able to play and how well would that go down with it being his second day on the job? Sure, it wouldn't make much of a difference to the sound but he knew what his colleagues would say and since he was trying to win more of their affection then it wouldn't do him any favours to swan in long past nine.

As he gulped and looked up at the clock on the wall, then to his phone's clock, and then back to the other, he gulped as he saw the minute hand tick over to fifty-five. Five more minutes and he'd be late. Biting his lip, he flicked his eyes down when they caught a sudden flash of colour and in an instant Jack was out of his seat and flying across the room towards the door. Ripping it open he flung his body around the frame and yelled, "Tooth!"

His former desk partner, clad today in a surprisingly different but no less colourful jacket, startled and turned around at the sudden shriek of her name.

"What?! Oh, hi Jack"

"Have you seen Bunny?"

"First of all, good morning. Secondly, yeah. He's coming in right now"

"Thanks" Jack yelled as he belted down the hall in the direction of the parking garage. He dodged and dived around other people moving up and down, some of whom scrambled out of the way and others simply jumping as they saw him fly at them. He was on a mission and before he had time to compose himself, he belted around the corner and flew straight into Bunny who was coming in the other direction. In a flurry, Jack grasped onto Bunny as he slammed into his chest and felt himself lose his balance. The shocked Bunny had no time to correct himself as the whiter-than-milk boy collided with him and with a similarly startled cry as Jack, began to hurtle towards to ground in a flurry of dropped bags and flailing limbs. The two landed in a heap on the hallway floor with Jack lying on top of Bunny, their faces only inches apart.

After a groan, Bunny looked down to meet Jack's eyes as they found their way to his, "Bloody hell! Are you that happy to see me?"

Jack, absent of nerves, simply cracked a smile and laughed. "Ha! I just missed you so much"

Bunny smiled back. "This what you're looking for?" he asked as he reached for the case he'd been carrying. Jack felt a wave of relief wash over him as his precious violin found its way back.

"Yes! Thank you so much"

"It's fine. I figured you might be worried"

"For sure! I would've called but I didn't have your number"

"Well, it's okay now. But in the future…" he began before reaching inside his jacket and pulling out a business card, "here."

"Thanks. You have business cards? Why does a conductor need business cards?"

"For times like this for a start"

"You get a lot of people leaving their instruments in your car?"

"Oh, all the time" he joked, "how else does a conductor get a date?"

"Are you asking me out?"

"You left your violin in my car. I'd say you asked me out"

"Who'd have thought I'd get to second base the next morning in the middle of the hallway?"

"Haha. Speaking of which, you wanna get off me?

"Oh, right" Jack said as he suddenly realized he was still lying on top of the incredibly firm man. He may not be getting to feel it by invitation anytime soon but at least he got to feel it anyway. Jack liked muscle, probably because he didn't have much of his own. Scrambling onto his feet, he reached down to pull Bunny up and then helped him pick up his bags. Grabbing his own case, the two then walked down to the studio where it was still a couple minutes before they were due to start. Jack didn't notice the mass of eyes watching he and Bunny come in together and it wasn't until he sat down that Tooth came forward and asked him if he was okay.

"What do you mean?"

"You and Bunny. In the hallway?"

Jack looked at her disbelievingly. News really did travel fast in that orchestra. It must have happened, what? Two minutes ago and already it had spread to everyone. What a bunch of gossips.

"Yeah, fine. I'll tell you about it later"

"Oh, come on! Did you cop a feel on your boyfriend?" she whispered

"Shhh shush!" he squeezed out as she giggled at him and went to sit down. She was so not funny when what she was joking about was kinda true.

Today they started with The Planets and to begin, Bunny directed them to the first page of Venus. It was an eerie piece that sounded like something out of Jurassic Park but a little more old fashioned. Jack was pleased because it contained a sweet but spacey solo for him that the strings often repeated after he'd played. There were solos for other players too and as their combined, solo sounds intertwined they really did sound quite good. The others must have practiced properly and Jack tried his hardest to produce as nice a sound as they did. Fortunately, he seemed to manage to do that and it seemed the real work was needed in the collective body of strings rather than just him alone. That was pretty much the way it always went when strings had something complicated to get right though and it would take a few sectionals before they made it sound passable. A few more and they'd have it sounding professional and Bunny could give it his stamp of approval.

The morning blitzed by and before they knew it, it was lunchtime. Putting their violins back into their cases, Jack and Tooth chatted casually as they both felt the desperate need to replenish their blood sugar. A quick morning meant a lot of energy must have been expended and since they still had an afternoon to get through they really needing something to perk them up.

"What are you thinking?" asked Tooth

"I dunno. Meatball sub?"

"Nah, not for me. Too many carbs"

"What? You watching your figure?"

"Yes, Jack, I am"

"Since when?"

"Since always"

"You never used to"

"I did. I just never let on"

"Come on, really? Even when we were living off pizza and beer in college?"

"Yes. How do you think I keep slim?"

"I figured it was just how you were"

"No, Jack. No woman is just slim. She has to work on it"

"I don't have to work on it"

"Oh, when did you get your vagina? I would have sent you a card"

Jack was surprised at Tooth making a joke like that, "Ha! Okay, no carbs"

"Good. You know, if I could keep as slim as you do without trying then I'd be real happy"

"Is that a compliment?"

"Maybe. Maybe not"

"Okay. So, where do you wanna eat?"

"Something healthy"

"Come on, Tooth. I need something loaded with fat and sugar!"

"You're gonna get diabetes if you keep eating junk"

"Naw. You never know, I might actually gain some weight and start looking hot"

"It only counts if it's muscle"

"You saying I'm not buff enough?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying"

"Does that mean you don't wanna get with this?" Jack asked as he rubbed one hand up his hip and the other from the top of his chest down.

Tooth shot him a look of derision, "Jack, you know the things I'd rather do than get with that"

"You saying I'm gross?" he asked with fake puppy dog eyes

"Yes"

"Aww man!"

"Okay, Jack, seriously. I'm hungry. What are we gonna get?"

"I want fat and carbs. Cheeseburgers, hotdogs and soda!"

"Jack, come on! I'm this close to going up a dress size!" she whined holding her fingers half an inch apart.

"No you're not. You can barely be more than a size 4"

"Nearly a 6" she whispered

"Oh, go on!"

"Seriously"

"Okay, fine. You can get a salad. I want a meatball sub"

"You sure? Shouldn't you be watching your waistline too now that you're a someone's arm candy?"

"No. That's…that's nothing anymore"

Tooth paused as they were going out of the door into the cold January afternoon.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked with a surprisingly concerned look. Recently she'd taken every opportunity to tease him for the crush she figured he had on Bunny. Jack sighed as he let the question sink in. He may as well clear everything up now rather than have to deal with it later.

"Well, I think he's straight"

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. In the car last night I asked him if he had a girlfriend in Australia and he said no and that he hadn't had one in a long time"

"So?"

"So, he acknowledged that he's had girlfriends. He likes girls"

"You don't know that"

"Come on. Gay guys make sure there's no confusion when the whole subject is put on the table"

"Not all gay guys"

"Yes, all gay guys. We make sure you know we're gay if we like you"

"Maybe he's just…you know, aloof"

"Aloof?"

"Aloof"

"It's not often you meet an aloof gay"

"Well, he is Australian. They're just cooler and less…you know"

"Flouncy?"

"Yeah"

"I'm not flouncy"

"You're a little flouncy"

"I am not!"

"Yes you are!"

"Not all the time!"

"You still do gay stuff. I bet you're wearing pink underwear right now"

"Ah, that's not fair. All my underwear is pink after you mixed your laundry in with mine"

Tooth giggled. "Yeah, I know. Anyway, after last night I'd definitely say he was gay"

"How do you figure?"

"Okay, let's look at the facts" she said as she whisked Jack onwards. "He's impeccable. There's not a hair out of place and his skin is perfect. It's even better than mine and, not to toot my own horn, but that's saying something. Next, he obviously puts a lot of effort into his body. The guy's sculpted like a Greek god. He's beautifully tan and-"

"Ah wait! You can't use that. He's Australian, they're all tan"

"Not all of them"

"Isn't it sunny the whole time there?"

"Not all the time, no"

"Well, he said he's from the south so it must be sunny"

"Nope. It's in the southern hemisphere so it's flipped"

"Oh"

"Well, anyway, his tan is beautiful so that counts. He's funny, he's smart and above all he's arty. Now, combine all that with being in the music industry and what have you got?"

"Someone who the human race really needs for breeding?"

"Yes, but the point is he's no use for that because he's a prancing, dancing nancy boy"

"Prancing, dancing nancy boy?"

"He's as gay as the day is long, Jack! Rejoice in his homosexuality! You have a chance to get with him!"

"Haha! Oh, come on. You can't tell from all of that"

"I can. I figured you were"

"I believe I told you"

"Nope. Figured it out"

"Okay, whatever. I still don't think so"

"Why don't you just ask him?"

"I can't just ask him!"

"Why not?"

"I don't know him that well. It's not something you ask a guy you just met"

"It sometimes is"

"Well, not Bunny"

"Why? He's too special to you?"

"No. He's just…oh, I don't know…"

Tooth smiled and clamped a hand on Jack's shoulder, "Don't give up hope yet, Jacky". Jack scrunched his nose at her. "What? Bunny can call you that and I can't?"

"Nobody can!"

She laughed, "Just wait and see. You may get into his pants yet"

"Damn it, Tooth!"

"Oh, like you haven't been thinking about it"

Jack sighed frustratedly. There was no point in denying it anymore, he'd given himself away by talking about it. "Okay, fine" he said with a small smile.

"Eee! I knew it!" she squealed, "I knew you liked Bunny! I saw it in everything you did last night"

"Well, how couldn't I?" he said as he tried not to giggle and keep his cheeks from reddening all at once, "He's beautiful!"

"Yay! Oh, I'm so happy right now!"

Jack rolled his eyes and snorted. The two ambled onwards and eventually ended up getting the subs like Jack had wanted. He loaded his up with extra cheese and everything else he could put on it. Tooth seemed disgusted at the abomination in sandwich form he had asked for but Jack didn't care. He knew what he was doing and scarfed it down like a dog that had stolen the roast. They didn't talk about Bunny for the rest of their hour off but Jack felt contented that he no longer had to deny it to Tooth. In a way it seemed nice to have someone to consult on all matters Bunny and even though he still didn't believe Bunny would be interested in him, he did at least have renewed hope that there might be a teeny, tiny little chance that he might, by some extraordinary fluke, someday garner some interest from him.

Later in the afternoon, Bunny decided to move onto another new piece they would be playing later in the season and Jack smirked as he saw yet another Russian composition land on his stand. This time it was Shostakovich and as he watched North jollily hand it out he wondered if the big, happy man had ever heard of any composers outside of his homeland. The piece was actually two pieces played back to back called Suites for Jazz Orchestra 1 and 2 respectively and Jack smiled since they too contained fun, exposed violin solos for him to shine in. Fortunately they weren't particularly difficult to play and so he'd be able to play out and not worry about sounding off to the other players. It seemed today there was an added bonus as well as none of the winds who would double on sax for a piece like this had them there to play. So, not only would they be holding back but Jack would be the main feature in that room for the first piece. He couldn't help but feel a little smug.

It didn't take long for them to play through both pieces. Everyone seemed pretty bored throughout the first piece as it was not scored for many players. It was pretty minimalist in comparison to the second piece and so everyone was relieved to be able to play again when the it came around. It seemed to put everyone in a good mood too. The music sounded as if it belonged in a fairground but also seemed as if it would fit in nicely at some high society ball where all the ladies wore big, poofy dresses and everyone was waltzing. Bunny seemed to be enjoying it too as he conducted and as Jack watched him he chuckled to himself as he watched the tall man sway with the beat.

They finished at about 3PM and Jack felt a little disappointed to have to go home after having such a fun afternoon. He sat back for a moment and chatted to a few of his friends before he went and he'd even managed by now to win over the deputy, albeit just a little. Still, she smiled at the things he said every now and then and so he wasn't worried that he might have a problem with becoming her friend anytime soon. When he finally got up to go and pack away his things he was caught by Bunny who looked a little mischievous.

"Oh, Jack, I forgot to tell you. We have to go and rehearse with the ballet company"

"What? Now?"

"Yeah. Sorry for not saying earlier. I have to go and see how they want it and you need to come too for the pas de deux. Am I ruining your plans?"

"No, it's okay"

"Perfect. Come on then" he said as he whisked Jack away to his case and then marched him out of the door when he was ready.

"We not taking your car?" Jack asked as they went out of the front door.

"Nah. It's only down the street"

"What? You suddenly take my evening away from me and I don't even get a ride?"

"I thought you said you weren't doing anything"

"That's not the point"

"Ah, come on. It'll be fun. You like ballet?"

"A little"

"Then great. Have you been to a rehearsal like this before?"

"No."

"Well, don't worry. Just don't do anything wrong and they won't get mad with you"

"What?"

"They expect us to be perfect. Not a problem, right?"

Jack huffed making Bunny laugh, "Now you tell me"

"Don't worry Jacky. You are perfect."

"Really I'm not"

"Yes, you are. Don't sell yourself short. Besides, if you played half as well as you did today you'll be absolutely fine"

"D'aww" Jack said giving Bunny a playful shove and then receiving one back.

When they arrived at the ballet company they found their way to where the soloists were rehearsing and Jack froze as he laid eyes on the man he could see was playing the prince. It was the same guy he'd hit on in the Abercrombie store last week and suddenly he felt his heart begin to thump. When their eyes met the guy look surprised too but then smiled at Jack with a little hint of cockiness. Jack just smiled back shyly and then hurried after Bunny when he saw he'd gone over to the director. Straight away they were sent to the piano in the corner and Jack set about preparing his violin. He kept his back turned to the delicious man he had recognized and remained like that as he tuned up. After finding some courage, he turned around and watched as the people in charge spoke to the dancers before they began the scene. Jack could see the man flicking his eyes over to him and he didn't quite know what to do with himself as he waited with Bunny sitting at the piano behind him.

"Let's give it a try then, please!" the director announced as everyone drew away from the dancers in the centre of the big, mirrored room. Jack went and stood at Bunny's side and together they led the dancers in. Jack tried his best to produce the passionate sound required but it was tricky since he was also trying to watch the dancers perform their scene. He didn't slip up but he wasn't paying full attention either. He became absorbed in the graceful and delicate but also powerful movements of the gorgeous Abercrombie guy as he danced with his partner. His strength really showed as he lifted and manipulated the girl with his body and Jack had a job to both watch him and follow Bunny at the same time. He did have a fair amount of sway over the music since he was soloing but he knew the director would not be pleased if he didn't try and keep some kind of rhythm for them to dance off of and so he tried to redirect his attention to the piano.

Bunny hadn't missed a second. He had seen Jack's eyes boggle as soon as he'd laid eyes on the attractive dancer now in the middle of the room and he smirked as he saw him try to play and watch at the same time. At least he now knew for sure that Jack was gay and he was pleased that his gaydar had steered him right. Admittedly the guy was pretty hot and Bunny could see why his Jacky was so transfixed with him

_"Wait. His Jacky?"_ That was a weird thought. Since when was Jack his Jacky? Sure, he thought he was cute but he hadn't been absorbed with him in the least. In fact, he figured they were becoming good friends rather than anything else and it seemed weird to him that all of a sudden he felt a little possessive. Maybe it was because Jack was the only guy here he'd really felt attracted to as of yet or maybe it was because he did like him in that way a little bit but whatever the case, he couldn't believe he was feeling a little annoyed that Jack was so obviously salivating over the dancer and not him. Therein lied the problem though. Did he really want Jack salivating over him? He hadn't thought he would up until now. He couldn't possibly be jealous over where his affection was being directed though, could he? That was ridiculous! He hardly knew Jack and now all of a sudden he felt as if he deserved to the object of some schoolboy-style crush. On top of all that, was his ego so big that he just naturally assumed Jack would be attracted to him?

_"For Christ sake, Aster…_" he thought to himself as he continued to play. _"You can't go after the first friend you make here." _It really would be stupid of him to try anything with Jack and he wasn't even completely sure whether he liked him enough to want him as something more than a friend. Again, he'd only really just met him so how could he possibly make a decision based on what he knew already? He wanted him as a friend more than anything and he didn't want to ruin that by coming on to Jack and risking what little they had so far.

Okay, for now he'd play it cool and maybe just test the waters. He'd see how things went and would then decide whether or not he wanted to make an advance. Then again, it wouldn't hurt to make the right comment here or there and see how his Jacky reacted, right?

_"Stop calling him that! He's not your Jacky yet. Wait, no! He won't be YOUR Jacky. In fact- Wait- Gah!"_

Jack turned to look at him as he heard Bunny mess up and slanted an eyebrow at him. Bunny just shook his head and stared at the music in front of him, forcing himself to refocus. He couldn't mess up after teasing Jack for being unprepared.

Later on, after many, many repeats of only small segments of the music, the director gave the dancers a break and Bunny went over to him to discuss parts of the work and how to play them. Jack was left alone by the piano and quietly waited for things to start up again. He did his best not to be obvious when looking at the sexy ballet dancer but he had most certainly been noticed. Knowing he was being looked at, the man decided to give Jack a show and made everything he did, from drinking from his water bottle to stretching out his legs, incredibly alluring. It caused Jack to let down his guarded gazing for a moment and that was when he was caught out. As their eyes met, Jack looked away abashedly but then turned back with a shy smile on his lips. The dancer just smiled in return and began to wander towards Jack making sure not to rush so he could let the violinist take all of him in as he swaggered. Jack felt his breathing pick up a little as he got closer and did his best not to look nervous.

"H- Hey" he managed to say as the man stood in front of him.

"Hey yourself. Didn't I see you in Ross Park mall last week?"

"That's right. Abercrombie store"

"I thought I recognized you. Thanks again for the tip"

"It's cool. I figured you must do something athletic"

"Well, I had no idea you were a violinist"

"Yeah, no one really figures that when they first meet me"

"What's your name?"

"Jack. Jack Frost"

"I'm Monty"

"Monty, huh?"

"Yeah, I know. Who's called Monty anymore?"

"Ha. I like it"

"You're sweet."

"So, is there any particular way you want me to play this for you?"

"I guess I just need it to sound sexy. You think you can do that?"

"Sexy, huh? How do you mean?"

"Make it sound…I dunno…just hot. You know, it's gotta sound seductive. It's gotta make me wanna do you"

"Can you give me an example?"

Monty smirked, "You really think I should in front of everyone?"

Jack felt his cheeks begin to warm up, "Well, aren't you forward"

"I prefer not to waste any time when I see someone cute"

Jack just giggled a little more girlishly than he would have liked, "I bet you say that to all the boys"

"Haha. You're adorable"

"I'm not that adorable. I can be bad" said Jack wondering in the back of his mind how he ever managed to say something like that without dying from embarrassment.

"I bet you can" Monty said as he took a step closer. Jack fought to keep his shy smile from stretching off his face but failed. The taller man in front of him just smirked back and for a moment Jack saw a tiny bit of Bunny in it. Suddenly remembering where he was, Jack looked over to where his boss was and saw him staring at them as he supposedly took part in the discussion he was having with the other creatives. If Jack didn't know better, he could have sworn Bunny looked jealous.

Turning back to the man in front of him, Jack just smiled and continued to chat with him whilst Bunny tried to hurry his own discussion along. Eventually they broke and he marched back over not knowing what he was hoping to achieve by doing so.

"Hi" he cut in as the pair turned to him and held out a hand to the dancer, "Aster. And you are?"

"Monty" said the man looking impressed that the orchestra had sent two such good-looking representatives. If they were all like that then he was going to have a very tough time keeping himself from picking a few up when opening night came. "That's some accent you've got"

"Melbourne. Visiting for the season"

"Uh huh. And how are you liking Pittsburgh?"

"It's pretty friendly" he said as he clasped a hand on Jack's shoulder and turned his body to align himself with the smaller guy.

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Hope it's not too cold for you"

"It is a little"

"Ah well. It'll warm up before you know it. It's refreshing, though, to see someone so nicely tanned"

"Thanks. It pretty much stuck from when I was a kid but I'm not complaining"

"Nor am I" the dancer said with the most flirtatious eyes Bunny had ever said on a person. "Well, Aster, it was a real pleasure meeting you. And you too, of course, Jack. Thanks so much for coming in"

"You're welcome" Jack cut in, "It was nice to meet you. Again"

The three then parted ways with Jack and Bunny turning back to the piano.

"Wow" said Bunny

"I know" Jack replied as he smiled along with the other.

"Can you believe that guy?"

"How do you mean?"

"He was throwing himself at you"

"Me?! What about you? 'Oh Aster! It's so nice to see someone so tanned and sexy!' He wanted you"

"He didn't say sexy"

"Did he really have to?"

Bunny chuckled quietly, "Well, I don't know if he'd be any good for you"

"And how do you figure?" Jack asked as he tried to decide how to take what Bunny had said. It did seem a little weird for him to say something like that having only met a week ago.

"He just wants to screw you"

"You think?" he asked turning to look back at the guy. Bunny scorned.

"Yes. Don't you want something proper?"

"Well, we all need a roll in the hay from time to time" Jack teased as he began to wonder what Bunny's angle was. It was all so confusing but it was so fun to see him behaving so…envious and guarding, and to string him along seemed like too much fun to pass up.

"You roll with a lot of slutty ballet dancers?" Bunny said feigning his usual smirk

"Perhaps one. We'll see…"

"I would have thought you'd have someone already"

"Nope" Jack said shaking his head, "Not since college and even then nothing serious"

"Huh. Maybe it's time to fill the position"

"Maybe. But maybe he could fill it temporarily"

"Oh my God…"

"Oh, sorry. Do you want to hit that 'cos, you know, I don't mind letting you have him"

Bunny snorted, "Please. I could get a better guy than him in a heartbeat"

"Guy?" Jack asked as a smile began to grow on his face and his eyes lit up. Bunny closed his mouth and raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you figure it out already?"

Jack was still for a moment before he lurched forward, shoved his violin and bow into Bunny's hands and then yelped "Excuse me a minute!" before quickly walking out of the room.

As soon as he closed the door behind him he ripped out his phone and quickly scrolled through the names before jabbing one violently. It rung twice before the other end picked up.

"Hello"

"Tooth! He's gay!

_Later that evening…_

"So what did he say?!" Tooth squealed as she practically jumped on top of her white-haired friend.

"I asked him if he wanted to take a shot at this Monty guy and that I'd step aside if he did, and he said he could get a much better guy than him."

"Guy?"

"Yes, guy!"

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" she said excitedly and began to flap. "Have you asked him out yet?!"

"Of course I haven't!"

"Why not?"

"I can't just ask him out. I don't even know I ever can"

"What do you mean?"

"He's our boss. And, I don't know, he's pretty much friend-zoned by now, isn't he?"

"No way. He's totally available. And it wouldn't be weird. Go for it"

"I can't!" Jack groaned as he flopped over and buried his head in a cushion on Tooth's coach.

"You can!" she said as she jumped on top, "Just do it!"

"I just can't, Tooth! It would be majorly awkward and...well, I dunno. I can't ask him out first"

"He has to ask you out?"

"Yeah. No. I dunno."

"Why?"

"He's…too beautiful. I can't…ugh"

"Oh, Jacky…"

"No Jacky"

"You're totally smitten"

"Well, wouldn't you be?"

"You like him so much"

"Yes"

"You wanna be his boyfriend"

"Yes"

"You wanna Get. With. Him"

"Now you're just being gross"

"I am not. Who wouldn't wanna get in his pants? This Monty guy sure seemed to want to"

"To be fair it seemed like he wanted to get into everyone's pants"

"Yours too?"

"Especially mine"

"Are you gonna let him?"

"I said I might to Bunny"

"Making him jealous?"

"Actually, he already seemed a little like while we were talking"

"You and the dancer?"

"Yeah"

"So Bunny wants in your tighty-whities too. How about that. Oh, sorry, tighty-pinkies"

"I'm sure he doesn't want in anywhere with me"

"What?"

"He never said anything about liking me. He just looked a little like it"

"Surely that's enough"

"I don't know. All I know is he hasn't said anything and I don't think he's gonna. He's just playing with me, I guarantee it"

"How can you be sure?"

"I can't. I just have a hunch"

The two were silent for a moment before Jack spoke up dejectedly.

"You got any ice cream?"

"Come on, Jack. It's not that bad yet"

**(REMEMBER! ALL LINKS POSTED HERE YOU NEED TO PUT THE DOTS IN BECAUSE FF IS A WHINY BITCH THAT DOESN'T ALLOW URLs)**

**Just for an example as to what I was referring to. You may not want to listen to the whole suite but I thought I'd link to it anyway. Shostakovich Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 1 ****_ : youtube com/watch?v=-DF5a99zK2c_**

**The waltz from the second suite it here and you can probably tell what I mean by fairground/ball sounding: youtube com/watch?v=IBNMaaNG2rA**

**Again, here's the Pas de Deux from Act 1 of Swan Lake, just in case you want to listen again (skip to about 2:25 for the part I was writing about): youtube com/watch?v=CNIU3fF4-Y4**

**So, Jack and Bunny are finally getting somewhere. No sexytime yet but you never know. Anyway, thank you all for your reviews and follows. They are majorly helpful in getting a feel for how it's being received. As always, I love to hear what you think.**

**Reminder: I'm now on Tumblr. I am musicaljackrabbit. Look me up!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Good day to you, fellow shippers!**

**Okay, something popped up in a review that I figured I ought to address. Obviously I would love to reply to all reviews individually but I'm afraid I'm often quite busy and can't fit it in. This seemed like an issue that many of you might be wondering about though so I thought I best not let it slide. RizReviewer asked when the rating of the story is going up and my answer to that is soon. I'm just trying to decide how smutty I want to make what I have planned and the thing is it could range on the scale of smut from tea with the queen to German hardcore pornography. Trying to find the right balance so it remains tasteful but is still fun to read teeters on a fine line and so we'll just have to see how that one pans out. Don't worry though, jackrabbit smut is on its way.**

**And, when it comes to reviews, YOU GUYS ARE FREAKING AMAZING AND ARE ALLOWED FREE ACCESS INTO MY PANTS ANY OLD TIME! Ahem…**

**Here's a picture I figured would be good reference material. Look at that smile! LOOK AT IT! LOOK AT IT NOW! EDIT: FF deletes urls to prevent spam so you'll have to put '.' where they are obviously needed: 24 media tumblr com/664c1072e50d2dc6697c7d458b0a f786/tumblr_mizxkwYAvq1qfsge2o4_r1_500 gif**

**So, 6' 1" anthropomorphised rabbit and 300-year-old dead kid fluff, anyone?**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 9**

The rest of the week went by awkwardly to say the least. Everyday presented a new challenge to his sensibility regarding how he was going to deal with his feelings for Bunny. He wasn't even sure if he really had specific feelings and didn't know whether he was supposed to create some or go with the murky, underdeveloped bubbling he held somewhere deep within. Characterizing his affections like that made Jack think of sewage and once that thought had gotten into his head it had been pretty hard to fend off whenever he tried to think about Bunny. Still, the nights had been helpful and he had spent many an hour lying in bed wondering what he was going to do. He was thankful that he had time on his hands to deal with it but it still didn't help that Bunny kept dropping comments here and there and giving him that smirk that he now took as affectionate rather than mocking. Well, it was still mocking but not as much. It was warmer now and it jingled a little bell in the back of his mind that made him feel tingly inside.

After his mixed up spell at the ballet company on Tuesday evening Bunny had recovered rather well. Perhaps it was simply because he didn't have any rivals for Jack's romantic intentions in his orchestra and even though that thought made him curse himself he found it to be strangely comforting. He had never been one to hide away from a challenge and even though Jack wasn't his, his mind's subconscious reckoning that Jack in some weird way needed defending against lecherous dancers gave him a strange purpose in addition to building up the friendship they were creating. He knew it wasn't his place and yet he couldn't help it. He liked Jack and had been touched by his readiness to accept him which, as anyone could guess, was a blessing for any person trying to get started in a foreign country. A simple flick back through the events of the past week and half would have reminded him that it was actually Tooth who had been the most enthusiastic about meeting him but he didn't focus on that. Jack was cute and there was no way around admitting that that was the reason he gravitated towards him more than he had the brightly coloured girl. Tooth was sweet, but Jack was sexy and sexy trumped sweet every time.

Things had become hard for Jack on Thursday evening when it was the first of their private rehearsals together. The players had spent most of their day in sectionals and Jack had not really wanted to hang around after hours after the mind numbing stopping and starting that he'd been through earlier. More importantly though, he didn't want to have to wrangle with his conflicted internal emotions regarding his predicament when he was that tired but what choice did he really have?

_Thursday evening…_

Jack yawned as he dragged his things into the smaller room in another part of the building. It was quite an intimate space but the building was old so the ceilings were high and it gave the room pretty nice acoustics. That, and the fact that every surface seemed to be stone or wood made it fairly cold in there and that would surely present Jack with a problem when his fingers started to become sluggish. He never really minded the cold but he was still human and the joints in his fingers didn't defy it as much as he did.

He waited for a few minutes for Bunny to arrive and when the tall man did eventually come in he did not look in the best of moods.

"Bloody hell, it's cold in here!" he griped as he put down his things.

"It's not that bad" Jack replied as he reached up to stretch out his tired back.

"How was your sectional?"

"Long. Boring. Painful"

"Yeah, well, next time you'll be with me"

"Why weren't you with us today?"

"I took the winds"

"Out of choice?"

"North seems to like the strings"

"Yeah, he does. He's really cool"

"Yeah, he's a nice guy. He's been really helpful in settling me in"

"I thought he might be. You ever see him conduct?"

"Last year. Your Firebird concert"

"You saw that?" Jack asked with an inquisitive smile. It made Bunny happy as every time he saw it he marvelled at how beautiful a smile it was. It had been a stressful day so it was nice to be perked up.

"Yeah. I came over to check you guys out before I accepted the invitation to come here"

"Why didn't you say hello?"

"I had other offers and had to see them all before I decided on one"

"Where?"

"Chicago, Miami, Seattle to name a few"

"Really?"

"Yeah. What? I'm not good enough for a bunch of orchestras to want me"

"Well, I wasn't gonna say anything…"

"Hey!" Bunny interjected knowing he was being teased. "What's a scrawny thing like you telling me I can't be wanted by loads of orchestras?"

"Scrawny? You call this scrawny?" Jack said as he mockingly flexed his non-existent muscles. Bunny laughed as he watched Jack behave like a strongman and shoved him playfully as he walked across to the other side of the room to grab a stand for him.

"Alright. I'll make sure not to get on the wrong side of you then."

"Damn straight"

"Come on, you bloody show pony. Play for me"

"Do I have to?"

"Yes. I haven't got all night"

Jack groaned as he begrudgingly pulled out his violin and shuffled over to the stand now in the middle of the room. Placing his music on it he asked what he should play and Bunny said to surprise him. Jack decided to pull out Swan Lake since he knew it was the one he'd need the most practice with and sighed as he began the slow, sultry part he'd had to play a lot recently. He wasn't bored of it but it took a lot more effort than he was willing to give this evening.

As he played, Bunny watched the boy's slender form rock gently back and forth as he moved with the music but didn't see the passion he was looking for. He knew Jack had it, he'd seen glimpses of it every time he played in addition to his timely outbursts. Not today though. Today he was clearly tired and was not putting himself into it. When it finally got to the upbeat section it became all too clear that Jack was just not in the mood for playing anymore and his lack of enthusiasm was almost comical. Even when he got to the twiddly parts right up high on the E-string*, not a single note was in tune and Jack groaned pathetically as he almost wilfully screwed them up.

"Okay, that's enough" Bunny said as he stopped Jack mid-piece. "Why aren't you trying?"

"Because I'm tired"

"Oh, poor baby. Play it properly, Frost"

"I've been playing properly all day, Bunnymund. And by the way, what kind of name is Bunnymund?"

"Oi! You better watch your mouth you little whacker"

"Or what?"

"Or I'll give you what for, that's what"

"Oooh, big talk from such a widdle Bunny"

"Jacky. Play"

"Fine" he said as he put his violin on his shoulder again. Before he played he turned back, "Will you at least tell me what the E stands for?"

"The what?"

"The E. Whenever I've seen your name written officially it's always E. Aster Bunnymund. What's the E?"

"You'll never get it out of me"

"Oh, come on!"

"No"

"Please"

"Nope"

"You're no fun!"

"And you're never gonna know"

"…Stupid head…" Jack pouted as he picked up his bow to play. It made Bunny shake his head and smile. He liked it when Jack was childish. It was playful and desperately cute.

As he began to play, out of nowhere came a sudden flurry of powerful, romantic notes that made the taller man perk up and watch him closely. It seemed getting Jack riled up somehow lit a fire under him and made him play things properly. Maybe it was because he was trying to throw it in the face of whoever he was playing to or maybe frustration kicked him into gear. Whatever it was, Bunny was sure that what he had been thinking was correct: a riled Jack was a melodious Jack and that was how he was going to fire him up from now on. That, and Jack really did look beautiful when he played seriously. The way his body moved and the expressions on his face were just so graceful and watching him was like watching living art. He was mesmerizing and as Bunny watched he slowly found himself less conscious that he was viewing Jack's playing and more entranced as he was absorbed by the smaller man's aura.

This time, Jack most definitely put the extra effort in. He was tired and irritable but he wasn't about to let Bunny have the upper hand. It wouldn't be the first time but he liked to prove he could play to him since it seemed to call his bluff. If he could come out on top then he could consider their rehearsal a success. After all, it was one thing to actually make the rehearsal worthwhile, it was something so much more to win in a tiff with Bunny.

As he attacked the big, double octave* jumps at the very end he gritted his teeth and smiled as he got them spot on and as he hit the final chord across the strings he pulled his bow away and stood there triumphantly.

"How was that then, Bun Bun?"

Bunny simply smirked as he rejoined the world and slowly pushed himself up. "You're not meant to play that double-stop"

"So?"

"So, you did it wrong"

"Ugh, you had to be petty"

"Well, you could have played it right"

"And didn't I?"

"Apart from at the end, it was okay"

"Okay?! That was better than okay"

"Well, look who's suddenly full of himself"

"Ah! You're such a…a…"

"A what?"

"Douche!"

"Douche, eh?"

"Douché? What?"

"What?"

"What?"

The two looked at each other confusedly. After a second or two Jack snorted and smiled. "So, what? Am I playing this again?"

"If you think you can do better"

"Oh, screw you, Bunny!"

"Hey. My grandma could play that better than you did and she's been dead for fifteen years"

"Ooh, so the grandma comes out and the gloves come off, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it"

"Oh, come on, Bunny. That was good, wasn't it?"

Bunny looked down at Jack who pouted up at him sweetly. He felt the look on Jack's face start to gently tug on his heart and even though he knew it wasn't genuine he couldn't help but succumb to its cuteness.

"Oh, alright, fine!" he said with a sigh as he turned around to walk to the wall. Leaning against it he crossed his arms, "Play something else"

"Don't you have any corrections?"

"Yes, but we'll get to that later"

"This feels like a review"

"Maybe it is"

"It will be if you stand right there" Jack said as he looked behind him, "Pitch always stands behind me and freaks me out"

"Maybe he's checking you out as you're playing"

Jack grimaced, "Eww! No, he's not!"

"He might be"

"No! He's definitely not! Don't say that!"

Bunny just chuckled. "Come on, Jack. I'd like to get out of here before 6"

"Why? Where're you going?"

"You're taking me out to a bar"

"Oh, am I now?"

"Yes. Show me there's somewhere good in this town"

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I'm your boss and if you don't I'll fire you"

"You're not my boss. Not really. And you can't fire me"

"You really wanna risk it?"

Jack looked back and stared him down amicably, "Fine. I'll give you this one"

"Great. Now, play on"

Jack turned back to his stand and began to play something else. As he did so Bunny allowed himself to become absorbed in the young violinist once again and from this angle he was able to appreciate him a little more than he had from the side. Little by little his eyes worked their way down to Jack's butt and lingered there for a little while as he took his time to appreciate it.

_"Not bad" _he thought as he examined the boy's rear which swayed gently with the rest of Jack's body. _"I wonder how well he can shake that thing"_ he thought as he wondered whether or not he could get Jack to take him to a club. He'd probably need Tooth to make that happen so maybe not tonight. Moving down to Jack's legs he smiled as he realised how skinny they were and wondered whether or not Jack wore tight pants to show that off or by accident. They were nice, long legs with enough definition to look athletic but he figured Jack had never been much of a sporty type considering how lanky they were. He imagined he must have spent much of his childhood indoors playing the violin and maybe that was what he attributed his extremely fair skin to. It was good-looking skin though, that was for darn sure and it's perfectly clear, soft, silky beauty only acted to enhance his boyish good looks. Had it not been for his strong jaw and height Bunny supposed many people would have mistaken him for a teenager.

It took until Jack had stopped playing for Bunny to realize what he had been thinking about and shook his head as he suddenly remembered where he was.

"Not bad" he managed not to blurt out. "Don't scrimp on the allegro when it comes around"

"I'm not feeling in a very allegro mood right now anyway"

"Yeah, I feel that" Bunny said as he pushed himself off the wall and stretched out his arms and shoulders, which by contrast to Jack's were extremely big and tough. Had he not been wearing a jacket Jack most assuredly would have had a hard time keeping himself from jumping at the taller man. "You wanna call it quits and just go out?"

"Yeah, okay" said Jack as he walked over to his violin case. He didn't really know how he felt about having to go out again now. Then again, was it having to go out or getting to go out? He did have a good time with Bunny the other night and it would be fun to go out with him again. Still, he was tired and he had planned to spend the evening on the couch waiting to watch Leno. In the end he decided going out with Bunny would be more fun and so, after calling shotgun to inform Bunny that he had to drive, the two walked down to his car and headed out of the parking lot.

After sitting through half an hour of traffic, Jack and Bunny arrived at a bar Jack knew about halfway between where each of them lived. It was a laid back sort of place and Jack was a little worried that he couldn't think of anywhere nicer to take Bunny nearby. Still, his companion seemed to like it and strode in happily. Jack walked with him up to the bar and sat down as Bunny ordered beers. Together they chatted as they usually did when they were together and kept switching between heated banter and friendly laughter. It felt nice for Jack to be able to talk to Bunny and not feel awkward as he usually did when with a guy he liked. True, he was still a little nervous that he was going to embarrass himself but he didn't really care about that as much as he used to. Something had happened and he wasn't as awestruck with Bunny as he once was and as conversation seemed to roll off of his tongue he found himself gravitating towards the Australian man in a way he hadn't before. They were becoming proper friends and he liked that a lot. Bunny, under that gorgeous, godly exterior really was a nice guy and someone he was glad he was getting to know better.

Bunny himself spent the evening taking in every feature of Jack's beautiful, boyish face as he smiled up at him and stared back with those big, blue eyes. They really were some of the bluest eyes he had ever seen and surrounded by his snowy white skin they looked positively icy. They were unbelievably mystical and Bunny had to force himself to look away from time to time so as not to make it look as if he were staring. He liked Jack a lot. He was an absolute rapscallion but he was fun, and above all he was nice. He was gorgeous too but that really went without saying by now and Bunny could no longer deny that he thought so. He was still no closer to deciding what he was going to do about it though. There was something about being around that dancer the other day that had fired something up inside him that made him jealous and now that they were out of there and simply enjoying each others company alone together everything just seemed so much simpler. He was happy he was getting along with Jack and felt honoured to have been accepted so readily. Still, his mind was frequently drawn back to wondering about whether or not he thought he should risk ruining it.

Later that evening, after many more beers, a plate of nachos and some hotdogs – which Jack figured was good, stereotypical American food that Bunny might appreciate – the two got up from the bar and wandered towards the door. It was apparent that neither one of them could drive although they weren't strictly drunk. Anyway, they were having too much fun to stop chatting whilst one of them had to concentrate on the road. So, after grabbing Jack's violin, the pair jumped in a cab and headed off towards Jack's apartment.

In the back of the cab, the two continued laughing along with one another as they shot witty remarks back and forth. Eventually, Jack began to yawn and, being a clown, flopped over on the seat and landed in Bunny's lap like a sleepy kitten. The bigger man looked down at him and teased him for being so pathetic but Jack stayed where he was as they cab drove onwards. After a few seconds, the warmth from Bunny's legs began to seep through into Jack's skin and he found comfort there that was simply nice. Something about leaning on Bunny felt right and even though it was just for fun, Jack enjoyed the warm resistance of his toned leg muscles that pushed back at him through the material of his pants. He could have easily gone to sleep there and had it not been for the exciting fact that Bunny's penis was somewhere just below his ear he probably would have done so.

Bunny laughed at Jack as he lounged on top of him and when he found the guy wasn't moving he started to stroke his hair and call him a good kitty.

"You gonna purr for me, kitty cat?" Bunny teased as he continued to ruffle the white strands and Jack cracked open his eyes to look up and chuckle at the strange situation. As he lay staring up towards Bunny's face, the alcohol in his brain continually directed him towards Bunny's lips. They really were pretty lips and to Jack's booze clouded eyes they looked incredibly soft, warm and inviting. Pretty soon he felt an urge grow from within to reach up to investigate closer but he resisted it. Still, it would be nice to get a better look at them. They really did look nice and almost seemed to be silently beckoning him upwards. It wouldn't take a moment after all and how nice would it be just to kiss them? Just to lean up quickly and press his own against Bunny's smooth, supple lips which were clearly made for kissing. Yes, it would be stupid to do but something about the situation egged him on and Jack pretty much felt that by now he'd earned a taste of those gorgeous things. After all, why not? He'd been suppressing his desire for Bunny all week but had still been nice and welcoming to him. Didn't he deserve a reward? Just a little one. Nothing more than a second. Or maybe too. Perhaps a little longer with a little tongue thrown in? Yeah, why not? After all, a kiss was what you made it and if he only got one then he wanted to make the most of it. Okay then, why not? Surely Bunny wouldn't mind.

"First stop" he suddenly he heard the driver say and bolted upright in his seat as he was suddenly brought back to reality. What the hell was all of that? That stupid, schoolgirl yearning to kiss the poster boy? What kind of moron was he? He could have ruined everything!

"Jacky, you alright?" Bunny asked as he looked at the jolted boy sitting next to him. Jack looked at him and then darted his eyes away shyly.

"Yeah, I uh…I'm good"

"You sure? You look a little spooked"

"Me? No. Just surprised we got back so fast"

Bunny snorted, "I think you're a little drunk"

"Yeah, maybe…" Jack said as he trailed off and reached for a ten from his wallet.

"Hey, don't worry about that" Bunny said but was then cut off before he could carry on.

"No, it's fine. I'll see you tomorrow" he said as he scrambled for the door and jumped out quickly.

"See ya" Bunny managed to say before the door slammed and Jack scarpered off. That was weird. He'd been totally fine and looking like a dog having his tummy scratched right up until they'd pulled up. Now, all of a sudden, he was like a startled deer. _"Weird" _thought Bunny as he suddenly felt something firm pressing against his leg. "Oh, hang on a sec, mate" he said to the driver as he reached across to roll down the window. Outside he could see Jack fumbling with his key and puzzled at him for a second before calling out.

"Jacky! Forget something?"

Jack spun his head back and looked positively shaken as he stared at the cab's open window. A second later he realised what Bunny was getting at.

"Oh…yeah" he said quietly as he shuffled back to the car and received his violin through the window.

"How much did you say this thing was worth?" Bunny joked as he handed it to him. "Or are you trying to claim the insurance?"

"Haha, yeah" Jack said with absolutely none of his previous good spirit.

_"Was it something I did?" _Bunny thought as he watched Jack for a second and then said, "Well, thanks for coming out"

"It's cool. See you tomorrow"

"Yeah, bye" he replied as he sat back and told the driver to carry on_. _As the cab pulled away he turned his head back andwatched as Jack stood at his door looking suddenly deflated and began to wonder what on earth he could have done to suddenly make him so uncomfortable. For the life of him he couldn't think of anything but that wouldn't stop him from laying awake for several hours that night.

Jack finally managed to open the front door to his building and leaned against it as it closed behind him. Closing his eyes and letting his head fall back against the frosted glass he sighed and cursed himself for thinking about kissing Bunny. What kind of stupid, ill-conceived idea had that been? He clearly would have ruined everything if he'd even tried and he simply felt awful for allowing his stupid, horny brain to lead him into thinking about actually acting on what he'd been feeling. He liked Bunny, he really did and he was still sure that Bunny didn't want him, even if he was gay. Why he had ever thought about taking such a stupid chance was beyond belief and he just couldn't forgive himself for doing it.

Worse than that though, how would Bunny have felt? There he was, thinking he was making a new friend, perhaps the very first of one of the few friends he actually had here so far and he'd considered taking that away from him this early on in his tenure. That wasn't fair. In fact, it was downright lousy and Jack felt like a real bastard for being so selfish.

Eventually he pulled himself away from the door and trudged up to his apartment. He didn't feel like doing anything else so he simply pulled off his clothes and fell into bed. He didn't even feel like telling Tooth about it he was so embarrassed and knew her excitability really wouldn't help him right now.

_"Oh God…" _he groaned into the sheets as he balled them up around his face and tried to forget the world that was so obviously against him recently. _"Maybe I should just fill up the tub, sink on in and end it all right now"_

Friday didn't go well. He made sure to keep his distance from Bunny all day long and even Tooth noticed his absent, nervous demeanour as she tried to perk him up on their breaks. She didn't succeed but noticed Bunny watching Jack with a worried look on his face. She wondered if something was up but couldn't for the life of her figure out what. Jack was being useless at letting on and she didn't think she could ask Bunny without knowing him a little better. This was a conundrum to say the least.

_Back in the present…_

So, there he was. Another Saturday morning sitting on the train to Burgess. He had wanted to stay in bed the whole weekend but he had kids to teach and their parents would not be pleased if he were to call off their lessons. He sighed as he watched the snow-covered fields rush by the window and hoped his hometown would provide him with enough distraction to forget about his malfeasance with Bunny.

His self-induced Bunny haze made the morning's work blitz by and before he knew it he'd visited his mom and sister and was waiting at the station for the next train to Pittsburgh, three-hundred dollars richer but no by means happier. As he stood there with his breath fogging up the air in front of him he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. Lifting it to his ear he spoke quietly.

"Hey, Tooth"

"Hey, ""Jack. How were your lessons?"

"Fine. What have you been doing?"

"You know. Cleaning, laundry, groceries, nails. Saturday stuff"

"Uh huh"

"Hey, Jack, are you okay. You were totally bumming yesterday"

Jack sighed. "I did something stupid Tooth" he said realizing he wouldn't be able to keep it from Tooth forever.

"What?"

"I thought about kissing Bunny"

The line was silent for a second.

"Tooth, you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here"

"So, yeah…"

"And? Did you actually kiss him?"

"No! I ran out of there as fast as I could"

"Oh, Jack! I'm so disappointed in you!"

"What?! What are you talking about?"

"Why didn't you kiss him if you thought it was right?"

"I didn't say I thought it was right. I just said I thought about it"

"And that's it? That's why you were so down yesterday? Come on, Jack! That's not worth all your sad sacking."

"Well, it kind of is. How would you feel if the first friend you'd made in a strange city tried to kiss you"

"Bunny's different. He likes you"

"He does not"

"Yes, he does. I can tell"

"How do you know?"

"I just can. I bet he would have loved it"

"Seriously, Tooth. He can't want to get involved with anyone since he's only here for a little while"

"Until next December"

"How do you know that?"

"It was on the info they sent us last year"

"Really?"

"Yes. Don't you read the circulars?"

"Of course I don't"

"Well, if you did you'd know he's around long enough for you to smooch and not worry about the consequences"

"Jeez, Tooth"

"Come on, Jack. You're over thinking this. You didn't even do it so why is it even a problem?"

"Because I figure the next time I might actually go through with it"

"So what?"

"Because…because…just because!"

Tooth sighed and although Jack couldn't see it she was smiling on the other end of the phone. "Look, Jack. You haven't done anything wrong. And even if you had done something it wouldn't have been wrong anyway. We know he's definitely gay now so even if you did kiss him I bet he wouldn't mind. If he wasn't interested he would have said so"

Jack moaned with strife, "Oh, Tooth. But what about all the stuff I said about being friends and then having that friend come onto you. Wouldn't it be weird?"

"No. If anything I bet he'd be psyched that he managed to get a boyfriend so quickly after arriving"

"Hey! No one said anything about being his boyfriend. I just said a kiss"

"That's how it starts and then, who knows…"

"I know. Nothing."

"Then I'm sure he'd be happy that you threw him a bone. Then perhaps he might throw you his"

"Tooth!"

"Swear to me right now that you haven't thought about it!"

"I haven't…seriously considered it"

"Exactly. Come on, Jack. What's the worst that could happen? He might say no. There's plenty of good stuff that could happen in contrast"

"Hey, I never said I was actually going to do it"

"Jack, you're going to do it"

"Are you commanding me to do it?"

"Would it help?"

"No"

"Then I'm just stating the facts. Now that it's in your head, you're going to do it. It's just a matter of time"

"Oh, what do you know?"

"I know you. And I know that Jacky wants Bunny's tongue down his throat…and around his balls"

"Damn it, Tooth!"

He hung up to the sound of her raucous laughter on the other end of the line just as the train back to the city pulled in. Climbing aboard he sat down by the window and glared out into the cold January night. It only took a few seconds for his scowl to break into a gentle smile.

How was she always right about him? Had she really learned his behaviour that well since they'd first met? It seemed as if she had and Jack shook his head as he accepted what she had said. Yes, usually when he got something in his head he didn't stop thinking about it until he actually got it done. Bunny was different though and he hoped he wouldn't ruin their friendship by eventually doing something ridiculously stupid. He remembered everything that had come before his alcoholic brain hijack and recalled how fun Bunny was to be around when they were on their own. They just seemed to click and he loved being around him for that. He really did.

The next morning, Jack found himself lying in bed trying to fight the call of the morning light streaming in through the window to wake up. Roughly, he pulled a pillow down to his chest and hugged it tightly as he tried to snuggle back into the covers but noises from outside soon won over. Flopping onto his back, he looked up at the ceiling and wondered what he was going to do today. He had a lot of laundry to get through and he should probably get some practice in as well if he was going to show off next week. First though, he needed food. Sunday was a good day for breakfast and as he lazily pushed himself up and wandered towards the kitchen a sudden twinkle of a memory began to poke at him in his dreary morning delirium. He leaned against the doorframe for a minute as he decided whether or not to go through with it and then simply mumbled "Fuck it" before going out into the living room and rummaging through his bag. Pulling out a small white square of card he marched back into his bedroom and quickly tapped out a message.

'Hey Bunny. It's Jack. Wanna grab some breakfast?'

Jack stood there for a second with his finger poised over the send button. Was he really going to do this after such an awkward Friday? Biting his lip, he took in a sharp breath through his nose, closed his eyes and with a final shout of "Do it!" in his head, pressed the button. In an instant the message was gone and Jack nervously sat on the side of the bed in his pyjama bottoms as he waited for a reply – if there was one.

As time ticked on, he quickly began to feel stupid again for even thinking about asking and he startled when he felt his phone buzz next to him. He let out a chuckle and smiled as he read the words, "Sure. Where you taking me?"

And so Jack's Sunday with Bunny began.

**Glossary:**

**E-string: Violins have four strings tuned, from lowest to highest, to G, D, A and E. The E-string is the highest string and it can be climbed to reach extremely high notes. It takes many years of practice to do this properly but the results are amazing when you hear a real master playing so masterfully way up there.**

**Octave: a complete series of notes between two notes of the same designation (i.e. a set of notes starting on a lower A and leading up to a higher A). Technically, the set of notes between two notes where one has double the frequency of the other.**

**AAAH! Jack wants Bunny to play with his gentleman parts! Or Maybe Tooth does. Well, in any case, I'm sure it won't be long now. Tooth knows best as always.**

**I referred to a piece called The Firebird early on in the story and it is, in my opinion, one of the greatest and most beautiful pieces of music ever written. It's so awesome that Disney used it in Fantasia 2000 and they animated to it which is pretty cool to watch. Their version is cut down from its original length but it puts it into a nice, listenable piece. If art sometimes overwhelms you then you might want a tissue. Watch it! Watch it now! (AGAIN YOU HAVE TO PUT IN THE DOTS): youtube com/watch?v=GU06m802pDc**

**Thank you all so much again for your reviews and all of your follows and favourites. You guys are a wonderful bunch and are totally awesome in every way. Please keep reviewing and let me know your wishes. I can't promise anything but it's nice to know if my plans match up!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, it's not classical but here's my musical reference link for this chapter. It's Man! I Feel Like A Woman by Shania Twain. Just go with it, it'll make sense when you read it (REMEMBER, YOU HAVE TO PUT THE DOTS IN YOURSELF): youtube com/watch?v=ZJL4UGSbeFg**

**Also, on my Tumblr (musicaljackrabbit) I recently reblogged a picture of human Bunnymund. Of course, I prefer regular rabbit Bunnymund but in this story he is, of course, human and so it's fun to see what he looks like.**

**Tally ho, jackrabbit!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 10**

Jack drummed his fingers gently as he waited at the table he'd been taken to by the waitress in a little restaurant in Shadyside. He figured since he was inviting Bunny that he shouldn't have to make him come out too far on a Sunday and as the minutes ticked by he began to wonder why on earth he'd thought this was a good idea. He was genuinely nervous again and it wasn't the good 'he's so hot, I know I'm gonna embarrass myself' kind of nervous from before. It was the 'I hardly spoke to him on Friday and now he's gonna think something's up' kind of nervous and he really didn't want to have to deal with the initial awkwardness that was inevitably coming. Hopefully bringing Bunny to an upscale kind of place like this would earn him some kudos and help him get back to where they were. Still, his shakiness on Friday was probably going to come up and so he braced himself for the worst.

After a little while, he saw Bunny walk into the restaurant and held up a hand to show where he was. Bunny waved back and began to walk over making Jack feel all the more jumpy as he approached.

"Morning" Bunny said cheerily, "Thanks for inviting me out"

"No problem" Jack replied hoping the smile he'd put on his face looked genuine.

"Just you?"

"Yeah. Just me. Not a problem, is it?"

"No, 'course not. So what's this place all about?"

"It's pretty nice. They do good brunch"

"Brunch" said Bunny smiling, "People don't really go for brunch back home"

"No?"

"Nah. It's breakfast or nothing 'til lunch"

"Huh. Well, maybe it'll be nice to mix it up a little"

"Yeah. If there's one thing American's do well it's breakfast"

"Really?"

"Oh, yeah. Fat, carbs, sugar, all of it. What more could you want first thing in the morning?"

Jack smirked, "Maybe an antacid right after?"

"Well, gotta treat yourself from time to time. Usually all I get is fruit and granola"

"I figured"

"How so?"

"Well," Jack began as he realized he'd already walked himself into a potentially awkward brain fart, "You, uh…you clearly look after yourself"

Bunny smirked, "You think so?"

Had he not become used to humiliation by now his cheeks most certainly would have been burning, "I mean, I guess. You have to work out to look like that, right?"

"Yeah, you're right" Bunny replied trying not to sound smug. If anything he found it funny that Jack was verbally squirming once again and he'd certainly learned the signs to know it when he saw it by now. "Takes time and effort but I figure the results pay for themselves"

"I bet they do"

"You bet they do?"

Jack gulped. _Damn it, Jack! Shut up!" _he thought to himself. "Uh, so anyway, now you've been here a while, what do you think?"

Bunny looked around. "It seems nice, I suppose"

"No, I meant Pittsburgh"

"Oh, right. Yeah, it's nice here. Can't wait for it to get warmer though. It will, right?"

"Yeah, it does but not for a while yet. We won't be here right in the middle of summer though"

"Oh yeah, tour. That'll be fun"

"I don't know where we're going yet"

"I do. Wanna know?"

"Sure"

"You'll probably be the first so you can't tell"

"I promise. Especially not Tooth who I definitely do not see pretty much everyday and tell everything to"

Bunny chuckled, "Okay, but no further than that"

"Okay"

"Right. So, there's Paris"

"As usual"

"Right. Then there's Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt"

"Sam old, same old"

"Then London and then, finally, Geneva"

"Ooh, Geneva. Never been there"

"The other are places all pretty standard, eh?"

"Yeah, although I like going there. Especially London"

"Not Paris?"

"Paris is awesome, but in London everyone speaks English"

"Yeah, London's great"

"You studied there, right?"

"Yeah. Spent two years there"

"So, it'll be like going home, I guess"

"Nah. I'm a true blue Aussie, mate. London's great but I ain't a pom. Gimme kangaroos and barbeques over red busses and crumpets any day of the week"

"Pom?"

"English person"

"Oh. What's that all about?"

"It's just an Australian word. Like, for the weather, you could say it's as dry as a pommy's towel."

"Huh?"

"'Cos they don't wash"

Jack laughed. "Come on, they must"

"Yeah, but you know. Australian slang"

"Okay, if you say so"

The two smiled at one another and then went back their menus.

"I'm in the mood for melon" Bunny eventually said.

"What happened to fat, carbs and sugar?"

Bunny lifted his shirt and patted his tummy which was not in the least bit flabby. Bunny had fantastic abs which Jack's eyes widened at the sight of. "This is what happened to 'em" Bunny said before laughing. It took Jack a second to gain control of his mind and realize that Bunny was being modest. He began to laugh along just a little too late and that was what suddenly put a damper on the situation. Without anything being said, the two of them could feel that Jack's delayed and obviously feigned laughing had brought up the recent edginess that had existed between them and slowly their smiles died away. The two sat in silence for a second before being interrupted by the waitress. They ordered quickly and were then back to trying not to catch each other's eye. It became so painful so quickly that Bunny just couldn't let it carry on.

"Okay, Jacky, what's wrong?"

Jack gritted his teeth before forcing out some words, "Nothing. Everything's fine"

"If you say everything's fine then everything is definitely not fine"

"You don't know that. This could just be the way I am"

"Well, it's not. You're too spring-loaded to be so stiff. So, come on, what's eatin' ya?"

Jack sighed and found he just couldn't bring himself to telling Bunny what had been getting at him. Still, he could at least try to break ground on it.

"Okay…Okay, here's the thing. You're hot"

Bunny humphed amusedly, "Okay…uh, thanks"

"And…the thing is. Every time I try to be friendly I get tongue-tied and say something stupid"

"Or do something stupid"

"Hey, who's telling this?"

"Sorry, go on"

"Well…that's pretty much it"

Bunny was quiet for a second, "So, what does this mean? You like me?"

"No! I mean, yeah. I really want to be your friend"

"Ah" said Bunny and sitting back with a smile. Jack knew that look. Had he actually just friend-zoned himself? Had he actually fucking done that?! _"Oh, you stupid, fucking idiot, Jack!" _he screamed to himself as he self-sabotaged any chance of finding a way to ask Bunny about anything more that could exist between them. Before he could retract, it seemed Bunny had already sealed the deal.

"Well, don't worry about it, mate. We are friends, aren't we? And I gotta tell ya it's nice to have a friend here. Makes it so much easier to settle in. In fact, you and Tooth have been nicer to me than I expected so I'm glad to have you both as mates"

_"No! No, no no!" _Jack cried on the inside as he listened to Bunny's acceptance of his misspoken attempt at clarifying his feelings. Forcing out a smile he did his best not to screw up his face and crawl into a ball. "Okay, great" he lied, "Listen, I'm just gonna run to the bathroom"

"Okay, see ya in a mo…mate" Bunny replied with a smile. As Jack scampered away he looked down at his hands on the table and sighed. Damn it. He hadn't realized Jack just wanted to be friends. Then again, that was his own fault really. He'd assumed that Jack might be interested in him without actually finding out whether he would even be open to something more. Sure, he hadn't really put much thought into what that might be but he hadn't even considered that Jack might not want a relationship. Least of all with some guy he just met. Jack was simply a nice a guy trying to be friendly to a foreign stranger and Bunny appreciated him for that. It's not everyday he'd find someone willing to go out of their way to make him feel welcome and it was asinine of him to assume Jack would want to get into his pants as soon as look at him.

In the bathroom, Jack banged his head repeatedly against the stall wall. He'd done it now. He'd ruined his chances and all because of a poorly timed verbal slip up. That was his problem though. He could never get the right words out at the right time when it came to something important and it wasn't the first time he'd sabotaged a potential relationship with a poorly timed 'friend' comment. What was wrong with him? Was he subconsciously afraid of a relationship? Was his brain somehow stopping him from finding someone by screwing up everything he said and making him act like a moron? It seemed that way. It really did by now and as he slid down onto the toilet he placed his head in his hands and slowly slid his fingers into his hair. _"What an absolute fuck up…" _he thought he sighed sadly. There was nothing to be done now. It was over. Actually, maybe not entirely. He'd still have to be berated by Tooth for burning his bridge to Bunny's affection.

Later on, after they had finished brunch and Jack had done a rather brilliant job of holding back both his frustration and despair, the pair stood outside on the sidewalk.

"This was nice" Bunny said as he turned to Jack, "Thanks again for the invite"

"No problem. I just thought it would be nice to show you a little more stuff in your own neighbourhood."

"Yeah. I drive past this place everyday and I wondered what it was like"

"Well, I'm glad you liked it. Maybe next time we can go somewhere downtown"

"Well, maybe for lunch this week. Perhaps Tooth would like to come"

"Oh, no doubt. She likes you a lot"

"Oh, good. Hey, Jack, thanks"

"For what?"

"For being so friendly. It's made it real easy to get going here, having someone telling you the ins and outs and showing you around"

"Don't even worry about it. I'm happy to do it, although it was Tooth who suggested we say hi in the first place"

"Well, I'll have to thank her too for being so nice"

"If there's one thing to say about Tooth it's that she's nice. In fact, that's gotta be an understatement."

"Yeah, she does seem rather exciteable"

"You should see her first thing in the morning. It's nearly unbearable"

"I guess I'll see it on tour in the summer"

"At least you've got a while to get used to the idea. No fooling, she really is a morning person"

"Okay, I'll start getting ready"

"Haha. Yeah"

So, anyway, thanks again for dragging me out"

"Again, you're welcome. What are you up to now?"

"If got some working out to do. Fancy joining me?"

"Cardio?"

"Nah. I gotta blast these guns" Bunny said as he slapped one bicep and then the other, "they're getting lazy since I came here"

"Maybe you're not conducting properly"

"Maybe. Fancy it?"

"Oh God, no. Do I look like I lift weights?"

Bunny chuckled, "Alright. I guess I'll see you tomorrow"

"Sure. Have a good work out"

"Thanks. Have a nice day"

"I'll do my best" Jack said trying not to sound as dejected as he felt, "See ya"

"Bye"

They parted ways outside the restaurant and Jack slowly made his way to the bus stop to go home. He probably could have walked it but it was cold and he really wasn't feeling like doing anything at all. He was in that mood to crawl up and moan continuously at the world and that was just what he was going to do. Still, there was no reason he had to do that at his own place and so, turning and crossing the street, he began to head towards Tooth's apartment.

Tooth lived in a fancier building than him. Being the daughter of two dentists not only meant she had been put in a nice place to live but also owned her extremely expensive violin and had no college debt whatsoever. Her home wasn't too far from his but was still in a different neighbourhood and took a good fifteen minutes to walk there from his apartment. He couldn't justify catching the bus to get there now though and so slowly made his way to hers. When he arrived, he called up to her apartment and she answered in her usual, cheery tone.

"Too-hoo-hoo-hooth!" he whined into the callbox, "I've ruined everything!"

In a second he was buzzed in and forced himself not to fall down and crawl up the stairs. Tooth was waiting for him at her door and hurried up to him as she saw him appear around the corner.

"Jack?! What's happened? Are you okay?"

Jack just groaned and fell against her pathetically, "I told him I just wanted to be friends"

"What?!" she nearly screeched as she dragged him inside.

When lunch came around, Tooth offered Jack something as he lay face down on her living room floor. He'd started on the couch but had solwly flopped his way down onto the rug that lay below and had not gotten up for about twenty minutes now.

"I'm not hungry. After screwing up I decided to let myself go and pigged out at the restaurant"

"Knowing you, I bet your pig out was rather minimal."

"I felt stuffed afterwards"

"You feel stuffed after a Junior Mint"

"Well, I better get used to eating more if I'm gonna get fat and disgusting"

"You couldn't get fat if you tried. In fact, you regularly try and it never works"

"Well, seems appropriate. I've failed so much at everything lately I may as well let failure give me what good stuff it has too"

"Jack, how long is this moping going to last?"

"I dunno. How long 'til the ground swallows me up?"

"Jack" she said as she sat down on the couch above him with a cup of noodles, "There's no use in feeling bad about this. What's done is done"

"Is this the part where I feel better?"

"Well, you won't if you don't get back on the horse"

"I was never on the horse! I went up to it, shook its hoof and asked to be friends. No horse riding for me, ever!"

"Not with that attitude"

"I don't have a horse riding attitude. I can't ride, end of story"

"You can ride! You rode plenty of times in college. You were practically a jockey!"

Jack couldn't help but chuckle at how dirty that sounded and how accurate it was. Darn Tooth for always knowing what to say to perk him up when he was in the depths of depair. "I'm trying to feel sorry for myself here"

"Not in my apartment, you're don't. If you're here, you're gonna be happy"

Jack humphed. "But how can I be happy knowing that I will never get a chance to play with Bunny's boy parts?!"

"Well, don't worry about it. You'll get to play with other peoples'"

"But I want to kiss hi-hi-him!" Jack whined as he mockingly threw a temper tantrum on the floor.

Tooth smiled sympathetically and watched him writhe around. After a few moments he calmed down and she spoke again,

"Jack, when was the last time you washed that hoodie?"

"I was gonna do it today but I figure why bother now"

"Give it to me"

"No"

"Jack, you can give it or I can take it"

"Okay, fine!" he said as he knelt up and pulled the hoodie over his head.

"In fact, just gimme everything. You're disgusting"

Jack thought about resisting but then decided it was pointless. Without hurrying himself, he pulled off the t-shirt he wore underneath his hoodie and then slipped off his pants remaining in only his underwear and sitting on the floor. Tooth smiled as she saw his pink undies and remembered his reaction after she'd created them in the washer. It had mostly been an accident, honestly.

Picking up his things, Tooth went over towards the door but stopped to fish out her iPod.

"Now, when I come back I want to see you happy, Jack. I'm gonna put something on to help you"

Jack just groaned as he slouched against the couch but couldn't help smiling as he heard Tooth dock her iPod into a speaker and put on a song that he couldn't help but dance to. It was Man! I Feel Like A Woman! by Shania Twain and even though it was old and tacky and had been even when they were in college, it was something they used to dance around to when they felt like being silly or had come back from a kegger. Tooth knew Jack couldn't resist it and sure enough, after throwing his things into the washer, she came back to see Jack jumping around in his pink jockey shorts and shaking his hips in time with the music. It was one of the few things he did that could be characterized as extremely gay and she couldn't help but burst out laughing when he paused at the last line of each chorus and sang "I feel like a woman" before dancing off again.

Pulling out her phone, she made sure to capture the hilarious sight on video and Jack, temporarily forgetting his melancholy state, pandered to the camera. Standing full profile, he spoke.

"Bunny, it's too bad you think I just wanna be friends. I guess it means you won't get a chance to play with all of this" he said as he rubbed his hands over his body. Tooth laughed from behind her phone as she watched her friend onscreen. "I bet you couldn't handle me anyway, 'cos I'm a tiger baby! Mrowl!" Tooth had trouble keeping the shot still as Jack pawed at the screen playfully.

"Tell him what he's missing, Jack" she called out

"A little of this" he said as placed his hands behind his head spread-eagled his body, "And a whole load of this" he said as he spun around and smacked both hands onto his butt. He giggled with Tooth as he cavorted around and jumped onto her coffee table. It was fun to be naughty and he liked being silly from time to time.

"Too bad for you, Bunny. I guess someone else will just have to take your place on top of that fine ass" said Tooth through her giggles.

"Oh, I don't know about that" said Jack, "I think you'd be welcome to my fine ass any old time, Bun Bun. Okay, turn it off!" he said as he jumped at Tooth and fell down with her on the couch. The two lay there laughing loudly as the song ended and then continued to giggle for a little while as the hilarity of the situation ebbed away.

"Aw, thanks, Tooth! You always know what to do to cheer me up"

"Don't mention it. Besides, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty more fish in the sea"

"Yeah, I guess. Still, it'd be nice to have a fish now. I dunno, maybe I just need someone to fill the place I made for Bunny"

"Were you really thinking about asking him out?"

"Hmm. I liked to pretend but I guess no, I wasn't gonna ask him. He would have had to ask me"

"Why?"

"I dunno. I guess I'm scared"

"Scared of asking him out or scared of asking anyone out?"

"Anyone really. I mean, I don't think I've ever asked anyone out. They've always asked me"

"Always?"

"Yeah. Ever since high school"

"Huh. Maybe you need to find your courage"

"Yeah, maybe. Still, it's a lot easier when someone else puts themselves on the line"

"No embarrassment"

"Darn tootin'. So how about you? You got your eyes on anyone?"

"No, not really. I mean, I don't really want pick up a guy in a bar, you know?"

"Yeah, I understand. Makes it feel…sleazy"

"Yeah. And you know, I can't just find a guy and jump into bed with him"

"Oh, I don't know. I can think of a few times…"

"Real life isn't college, Jack. I'm a good girl now"

"I wonder what college Tooth would say to that"

"It doesn't matter. I'd tell her to behave"

"Haha. Okay, well, I'm sure you'll find someone"

"Where?"

"Hopefully wherever I find someone"

"Well, straight men are starting to catch on to gay bars. Plenty of straight women there"

"But then it becomes a regular bar and it's no fun for the homos"

"Well, at least they can't yell at you for hitting on them when you're in there"

"Most of the time. You know, we should invite Bunny to a gay bar"

"You really wanna watch him hook up with some floozy?"

"At least I could pretend it's me"

"Oh, Jacky…"

"No. No more Jacky. I let it slide because I thought I might get something out of it, but no more. Now, I'm Jack again"

"Okay, but don't be mean to Bunny"

"Why not? He dumped me"

"You were never going out"

"Don't remind me!" he wailed as he buried his head under a cushion. Tooth just rolled her eyes and jumped on top of him.

"Stop. Being. Such. A. Baby" she taunted as she shoved him over and over, "You're still his friend, after all. Consider yourself lucky he likes you so much"

"Never!" he roared as he threw himself back at her.

The two continued to play fight for a little while until they fell on the floor. Tooth stood up straight away and decided to drag Jack with her. She then pulled him into her bedroom where she commanded him to help her put new sheets on her bed. Jack didn't do a very good job and so Tooth redid his side once he'd finished and scolded him for not being neat. Jack didn't care though and winded his way back to the coach where he turned on the TV and waited for his clothes. Pretty soon Tooth came to join him and grabbed one of his hands so she could do his nails. He made it clear to her that he did not want them the same shade of pink as hers and so she settled with simply filing and polishing them neatly. As she did it, Jack watched her and smiled calmly. She really was a good friend to him and she was just so sweet. He hoped that she got out of their relationship the same amount he did although he could easily see himself as being the winner. She was always so supportive whenever he started whining and could always pacify him no matter what his grievance. In return he supposed he kept her laughing and she looked ever so pretty when she smiled. The pair simply clicked and it was clearly a blessing that the universe had thrust them together.

Jack spent the afternoon at Tooth's. She let him play her violin and he asked if she wanted to trade. She, of course, said no and he threatened to steal it if she didn't change her mind. Eventually, when Jack's clothes were dry, he ambled home and started to get things ready for the following day. He managed to get in some practice on his own violin before doing his own laundry and managing to clean up some of his apartment. Something about being at Tooth's shamed him into doing housework and by 10PM he had everything done. Feeling a little drained, he decided to run a bubble bath – another of his homosexual tendencies for when he was stressed – and sunk into the hot, bubbly water to try and relax. As he lay there with his eyes closed, he thought about the day and tried to put some kind of stamp on it. In all, he supposed it was kind of a bad day although the afternoon had more than made up for it. He would have considered it good had it not been for the damning blow he'd dealt himself that morning and so maybe in that case it kind of balanced out. Opening his eyes and looking down at his nails he smiled as he saw how neat and nicely aligned they were. It reminded him again how lucky he was to have Tooth and figured that in the end life wasn't all that bad. Sure, he had no Bunny to make out with, but he had good friends, a good job and what seemed like a bright future. And it wasn't as if he'd lost Bunny. No, at the end of the day it all depended on how you looked at it. Bunny was still his friend and it seemed their friendship was only going to become stronger. They had a lot in common and so it would be nice to have another gay friend. He only had a few in Pittsburgh as it was and who knows, maybe Bunny would like to do gay things with him. _"Well, not like that" _he thought as he put connotations to that brainwave and smiled as his mind still tried to pair him up with the tall Australian.

After washing his hair and climbing out of the tub he dried off and threw on fresh pyjamas – usually he only bothered with the bottoms – before curling up on the couch and watching The Big Bang Theory on FOX before going to bed.

The next morning, he rose much in the same way as he did on any Monday and somehow managed to sluggishly get himself ready. When he got to work he didn't pay much attention to the buzz going on around him but started to perk up when people were looking at him and laughing. Looking around, he noticed there were a few groups gathered around phones and laughing whilst glancing up at him and as he got ready, he knew something was up.

When he was done he wandered over to his seat with a steely expression and placed his things down before walking through the seats.

"Hey, what's going on?" he cautiously asked a group who all looked up at him as he approached.

"You tell us, Shania" one of them said as she turned her phone around for Jack to see. Jack looked at it and then felt his heart sink as he watched himself dancing around to that song in his underwear on the screen he now took in his hands. He stood there with his mouth open and a look of disbelief on his face for a few seconds as he tried to take it in but then felt every muscle in his body clench as he heard himself speak "I think you'd be welcome to my fine ass any old time, Bun Bun. Okay, turn it off!" The video ended and Jack just held the phone where it was as he tried to process the crushing humiliation that now weighed down on top of him. Somewhere far away he could hear voices laughing at him and as he looked up they zoomed right to the mouths of the group that stood in a semi-circle in front of him. Jack meekly held out the phone for the player to take and then delicately glanced around at most of the rest of the orchestra laughing at him. He had never been so embarrassed in all his life.

Slowly and quietly he did his best to look invisible as he made for the door but trying to hide from that kind of embarrassment was practically useless. Jack wasn't a crier, in fact there were very few times in his life when he hadn't been able to hold back his emotions when everything became too much. Now though, he felt the unmistakeable burn of tears push at the back of his eyes and he had to get out of there before the orchestra saw him break down. It was the betrayal, the unbelievable, unexpected betrayal by Tooth that forced him to this and he just couldn't understand why she would do it to him.

His beeline for privacy was cut short just when he got to the door and halted in shock as he nearly charged straight into Bunny. The tall man looked happy to see him but then frowned when he saw the look starting to show on Jack's face.

"Hey, Jack. You alright?"

"I…" he began before feeling the words get stuck in his throat and then simply ran around Bunny into the hall whilst being followed by a roar of laughter and whooping coming from the orchestra signifying that they had obviously saw the two of them meet. No doubt it wouldn't be long before Bunny saw the video and a whole new wave of unpleasantness would surround their interaction. Jack didn't want that. He'd figured they might actually have a chance at becoming really good friends after yesterday's screw up but now even that could be in jeopardy and this time it wasn't even his fault. Tooth had recorded that video and she must have sent it to someone who only served to spread it around for everyone to see. How could she have done that? Had she actually thought it would be funny?

Jack fell into the bathroom and hid himself in the very last stall. Once in there he sat down and buried his face in his hands, not making a sound but slowly letting tear drops work their way through his clenched fists and run down his wrists into his sleeves. Eventually he began to sniff loudly as he lost the battle against crushing his hurt feelings back inside but then startled after a minute or two when he heard the door bang open and Tooth's voice ring out.

"Jack! Jack, are you in here?!"

He did his best to remain silent but he couldn't calm his breathing that much. That, and the frantic girl bent right down to look under the stall when she saw the last door closed. Seeing his legs, she stood back up and rapped on the door quickly.

"Jack, I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry! It was an accident! Really! I meant to send a picture of some shoes I saw to Katie and I sent that video by accident. I would have said something but I didn't realize and she didn't tell me I'd sent it to her and I didn't mean to and…oh gosh, Jack, I'm so, so sorry!"

Scrambling into the next stall she stood on the toilet and looked over the wall to her friend who was now sitting up. He glanced up briefly as he saw her head pop over the stall in the corner of his eye and quickly diverted his eyes when he saw her looking down. He grabbed some toilet paper to try and hide his tears.

"Oh, Jack…" she said with a clear pang of pained guilt in her voice. "I really didn't mean to. I would never do that to you, I swear"

Jack knew she was right. He'd gotten carried away with himself thinking she would do something like this for fun. That still didn't change the fact that now everyone knew he liked Bunny, and that probably included Bunny himself by now. God damn it! Why did this have to happen? Okay, it was an accident, there was no harm in that, but why did it have to be this accident? Of all the things that could possibly have happened to cause him embarrassment, why did it have to be this? It wasn't as if he hadn't embarrassed himself in front of the orchestra before. They had all seen him in his underwear when he'd been pranked on tour, but that had been good-natured and he'd laughed along with them. In fact, he loved being the centre of a joke but not like this. This really did take the cake when it came to humiliation and as he thought about it he just couldn't stop the tears from running down his face.

After a few moments he stood up and opened the stall door before stepping out and letting a teary-eyed Tooth throw herself at him. She mumbled endless apologies into his hoodie and slowly Jack began to feel his emotions subside. After a second or two he pulled away and said "It's okay" before turning to the sink and looking at himself in the mirror. Great, now he had big red rings around his eyes and anybody would be able to guess he had been crying. Perhaps before he might have been able to brush it off, maybe even manage to strip off to his underpants, run back in there and dance around to the same song just to prove he wasn't bothered. Not now though, he couldn't go in there and say he was okay when he clearly bore the signs of tears. Running the faucet, he splashed his face a few times to try and calm himself down but it didn't help much. Turning back to Tooth she hugged him again and he somehow managed to produce a smile – albeit a disingenuous one.

"You gonna be okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I'll be fine. I just gotta calm down a little"

"You wanna get some coffee or something?"

"No, it's fine. You should go back in, you don't wanna be late"

"I don't wanna leave you alone"

"I'm fine, really. Go. It'll look better if I go back in on my own anyway"

"You sure?"

"Positive. Go on"

"Okay. And Jack, again, I'm really sorry"

"It's okay. Don't worry about it"

Tooth gently smiled at him before leaving him alone in the bathroom. Jack turned his back to the mirror and leaned against the sink as he sighed. Going back in there was going to be tough, but running away would only make things worse. He had no idea how he was going to look Bunny in the eye again and he didn't even know if the guy would talk to him after that. No doubt he'd be embarrassed too and that made Jack feel even worse.

With another sigh, he pushed himself up, looked in the mirror one more time and then went for the door. When he was about halfway it suddenly opened and in walked Pitch looking just as menacing and devious as usual. Jack stopped as he entered and remained silent as he tried to express a sense of fortitude.

"Is this where you've been?" Pitch asked with a distinctly displeased tone.

"I'm just coming"

"They are starting right now and you're not there. That's bad form for a concertmaster, Jack. You disgrace the position. Then again, I said that at the beginning"

"Oh, just piss off, Pitch! I'm not in the mood!" Jack spat as he went to barge past Pitch but had no luck in doing so as a firm hand gripped his shoulder. Jack expected to be yelled at and it seemed that's what the tall, frightening man had in mind until he looked down at Jack's face. He took in the boy's red, puffy eyes and the traces of moisture around them and then changed his expression to a softer but no less devious smile. Warm was not the word to use here, that smile was just as icy and unsettling as always.

"You've been crying" he said smugly.

"What's it to you?" said Jack as he shook him off and rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve.

"What's got you upset?"

"None of your business"

"Jack, please. While I may not care for your childish sensibilities I do care about the well-being of this orchestra. Having a distraught concertmaster falls into that category, wouldn't you say?"

"As I said, it's none of your business. And the hell with all of that. You don't care"

Pitch's expression became menacing again.

"You're right, I don't. Whatever it is though, it better not affect your playing, although I don't think it would matter since it's not nearly up to standard anyway"

"Don't worry, I won't let the orchestra down"

"As I said, you better not. Don't think I've forgotten about you Jack. It's things like this that are slowly working against you. I don't think it will be long before the axe does finally drop"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know. Perhaps your new position draws attention to your professional conduct. And who knows, if you're found to be…underperforming in many aspects then I wouldn't be surprised if…I don't know…your place in this orchestra were to hang in the balance"

"You're lying" said Jack feeling his hackles rise although he couldn't really tell if Pitch was indeed being false.

"I assure I'm not. You had better start producing results, Jack, or I hate to think what might happen" he said with an evil smile. Jack just stared at him and then pushed past not wanting to deal with his poison right now. What if he hadn't been lying though and he really was being evaluated. He couldn't be out of the job. Being fired would be a catastrophe as jobs in professional orchestras didn't come up all the time. Since he wasn't a renowned player yet he could be unemployed for months, if not years before finally being able to get something else. Could he really take a chance on Pitch's telling the truth? He didn't know.

What he did know was that he was now standing outside the door to the studio and trying to find the nerve to go back in. The longer he stood there, the greater impact his being late would have and he just couldn't stand to go through any more than he had to. So, with a deep breath, he reached for the handle, pulled open the door and strode into the room with his head held high.

The room was unexpectedly quiet as he entered but after a second he was met with a few wolf whistles and a couple of half-baked comments. Everybody turned their eyes to him and then waited for something to happen. Jack looked across the sea of faces and then laid eyes on Bunny who was also looking at him with a rather blank look. He didn't know what to do and so he just stood there not realizing that he was only making it worse by not sitting down.

"Morning, Jack" Bunny said expressionlessly, "You, uh…wanna sit your…what did you call it? Fine arse down so we can start?"

The orchestra erupted in roar of laughter and Jack just scrunched up his face as he tried to hide his embarrassment with annoyance. "Shut up, you guys!" he shot as he stomped to his seat and sat down making sure not to look anyone in the eye. Bunny just carried on as normal as Jack tried to die in his seat. Eventually they got to some playing and thank God he didn't have any solos come up that might draw attention to him. Hopefully they'd just be doing ensemble parts today and his embarrassing episode wouldn't come up any more than it had to.

At lunch, Jack tried to hurry out of the studio with Tooth in tow but he couldn't avoid all of the comments that came his way. It also didn't help that Bunny caught him just as he was about to leave and pulled him aside.

"Uh, listen mate. We need to get together for another rehearsal this week. I was thinking tomorrow evening if that's alright with you?"

"Uh, yeah. That's fine."

"Good. Erm. You wanna make that the regular night for rehearsals? You know, to save it jumping around week on week?"

"Okay, sure. If it's okay with you"

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine."

"Okay, good"

"Good. I'll…uh…see you after lunch"

Jack watched him turn and begin to walk away and then decided he couldn't just leave it like that. "Bunny, wait!" he called hoping nobody else would hear. The tall, tanned man slowly turned back and looked at Jack with a smirk.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry about…well, you know"

"No worries. It's fine"

"No, it's not. I embarrassed you"

"I think it's you who you embarrassed, mate"

"Yeah, but I never meant for you to see that and I didn't mean to embarrass you in front of the orchestra. I'm really sorry"

"It's okay, mate. Really, it is. I thought it was funny"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, really."

"Okay, well. See ya later then" Jack said as started to walk away feeling no better.

"Did you mean it?" he suddenly heard Bunny ask and started to turn back around. He stopped halfway and only just glanced his head around enough to catch the edge of Bunny's face. Trying to find the words and failing, he sighed and just carried on, hoping he could disappear from the studio without being caught again.

When he got outside, he dragged Tooth several blocks away so he wouldn't have to deal with any orchestra members through lunch. Tooth continued her endless apologies as they ate but Jack wasn't listening. He simply couldn't stop thinking about what Bunny had asked and how his response, or lack thereof, could have been interpreted. Did this mean he now had a chance with Bunny again? What's more, was Bunny really okay with the fact that Jack had pretty much admitted that he wanted to screw him?

Why could he never just get a straight answer or some closure with this guy?

**Jack feels like a woman! And then cries about it! What a baby!**

**Thank you all so much for reading! Thank you for your reviews! Thanks for all of it! I hope this chapter didn't seem too rushed. See you in the next chapter!**

**P.S. Screencap of Jack crying (just for the feels) (REMEMBER TO PUT THE DOTS IN YOURSELF): musicaljackrabbit tumblr com/image/44637278343**


	11. Chapter 11

**Anyone else having trouble imagining Bunny as human in this story now. As I write it I just can't help but see him slipping back into a rabbit and I have to remind myself it would be weird for the people of Pittsburgh to accept a 6' 1" bunny hopping around downtown. **

**Fishnstix (would have PM'd but you're a guest): Smoko, huh? I'll remember that. As you can probably tell from the text, I'm neither Aussie nor American. I'm British. So, in addition to my earlier apology to Pittsburghers regarding any failures in my description of the city, may I also apologise to you if indeed Bunny seems like no Australian you've ever heard of. Of course, being a pom, I've met plenty of Australians over here, but I understand that that doesn't mean I can characterise a true blue Aussie without making mistakes! So, sorry if any of what I've written seems alien and thanks for reading!**

**Anyway, it's finally happened! This story is now officially M rated! Woo! **

**WARNING: Thar be homosexuality 'ere! If you don't like human alter egos of anthropomorphised male rabbits doing the nasty with the AU living version of a 300 year-old dead guy then what follows is not for you.**

**Next stop, jackrabbit smut!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 11**

Jack didn't speak much to Bunny for the rest of the week. Their rehearsal on Tuesday evening was pitted with awkward silences between his playing and Bunny's instruction on how to play and by the end of the session Jack had just wanted to get out of there and hide. The question Bunny had asked seemed to be hanging open and it was as if they couldn't continue any kind of casual conversation until he answered. So, Jack asked himself Bunny's question. Did he mean it? Did he mean that Bunny was welcome to boink him anytime he wanted? Every time throughout that long week he replayed his exact words 'I think you'd be welcome to this fine ass any old time' over in his head it was almost as if he stepped out of his body and pitied the guy he stood next to. The premise was humiliating, to say the least, but the way that it had all come out and the words that he'd used had made it ten times worse and he had no idea how he was ever going to be able to brush it off. Perhaps this was one of those times when he'd always look back and characterize it as the single most embarrassing moment in his entire life and, unless by some divine intervention, it certainly seemed as if that was the way it was going.

Jack spent most of his evenings alone that week as Tooth took it upon herself to entertain Bunny. Seeing as Jack wouldn't touch him socially as he tried to deal with his problem she figured she had to do something. So, being ever the cheery go-to girl, she took him out to a couple of places and made sure to take some other members from the orchestra with them. Jack wished he could have gone out with them as well as hearing what they got up to the next day really did seem fun. He just couldn't face Bunny though, not yet. It was still too raw.

Bunny had repeatedly asked Tooth what the problem was but, like him, she simply didn't know all the details. They soon found they pretty much knew about as much as each other and Tooth told him to try not to worry. Still, Bunny wished he'd handled what had happened a little better. Sure, it wasn't his problem but it still seemed as if Jack had taken it rather badly and he most certainly could have been a little more chatty at their rehearsal on Tuesday. He could have tried on any day of the week for that matter but he hadn't and he regretted not doing so. After all, a simple word from him might be all that was needed to perk Jack up again and tell him it didn't matter. The problem was he still didn't really know how he felt about it. He had thought Jack's admission that he just wanted to be friends was final and now all of a sudden he had gone and said something like that in the accidental video. Of course, he figured it had never been meant for him to see it but, forgetting that, had that meant that Jack had wanted to do him all along? And then, was that all he had wanted? Just some quick sex? If it was then he wondered if the reason Jack had been so friendly was just so he could find a way into his pants. Then again, why would he then say he just wanted to be friends? It made no sense and therein lied the reason why Bunny was having a hard time figuring out what to do or say and was completely lost for knowing how to behave around Jack when he was with him. Not that it was so hard, he had been avoiding Jack just as much as Jack had him. Admittedly it was rather stupid of him but he couldn't see away around it all week long.

When the weekend finally came, Jack found himself once again on the train to Burgess to give his lessons. There was less snow on the fields this week and Jack hoped it meant things would get a little warmer. Not so much for himself, he didn't mind the cold, but for Bunny who seemed to be a real summer type. Was it rude to assume that, being Australian, he was a beach bum? Did all Australians spend their summer on the beach? He didn't know, but what he was certain of was that Bunny could probably use something to look forward to rather than dwell on the mess he had created for him.

As he watched the trees and telephone poles rush by he began to think back through the week and cringed as he remembered all the awkward little moments he'd spent avoiding interaction with Bunny. He really had behaved like an ass but the orchestra really hadn't helped him to feel better. He was the topic of the week again and this time it wasn't good. They had even gone so far as to have Man! I Feel Like A Woman playing in the morning of the first few days when he had arrived and he had only just about managed to fake smiles as a few of them had danced around like he had in the video. He felt so stupid. Still, he couldn't really blame anyone. Tooth had sworn to him it was an accident and he hadn't been mad at her. He did wish he'd said yes when she'd invited him out during the week though. Looking back it probably wouldn't have been that bad to go out with Bunny as long as there were others there. In fact, it probably would have helped him get over his squeamishness about being with him again.

Sighing, he fished out his phone from his pocket and scrolled through the list of messages until he came to Bunny's thread. The last messages were those he had sent the previous Sunday asking Bunny out for breakfast and he smiled as he remembered back to how he had felt then. Things hadn't by any means been clear-cut but at least every avenue had still been open. Since then he'd stamped himself as a friend and then whored himself out on video and although he was embarrassed he had to admit he was pretty much in the same position this weekend as he was the last. True, it was far more awkward now but at least every possibility was open again. How he was going to talk to Bunny again he had no clue, but at least the option was there. Strangely, that thought didn't make him feel any better.

When he arrived, he gave his lessons as usual making sure not to let his personal problems affect his professionalism – if you could call it that. Jack's conduct in lessons was far from orthodox but it certainly seemed to get the kids to learn better. So, with his regular three-hundred dollars in his pocket, he did his usual rounds of seeing his mom and sister and before he knew it he was back on the train just after lunch and staring at his phone once more.

_"Okay. To text, or not to text. That is the question" _he thought as he stared down at the tiny cursor onscreen that blinked up at him impatiently. He felt pretty crappy for not talking to Bunny in person but he figured at least this way provided him with some kind of shield to the damning confrontation. Biting his lip, he began to tap out several messages but then deleted each one when he read them back and found them to be utterly stupid. He tried over and over again but in the end it was no use and in a fit of frustration threw his phone into his bag. He sat there alone, his face sullen as he wallowed in self-pity and vexation. Why did being a grown up have to be so hard? He wished he could just go back to high school and wake up each day with all problems simply having evaporated in the night. Life was so simple back then and, hell, even college was useful in helping him deal with real life's problems. Still, as Tooth said, college wasn't real life and he was always going to have to face it sooner or later. Why did relationships, particularly romantic relationships, have to be so difficult though? He'd figured they might be easier as he got older, after all that's certainly how it had seemed when he had watched Friends, Will & Grace, Frasier and all manner of other sitcoms while he was growing up. Adult relationships seemed so much easier and less embarassing to begin than when he had been trying to figure it out in high school but, as he had learned a while ago now, that wasn't the case and was most likely the reason he hadn't been in a relationship for such a long time.

Jack sighed at that thought and let his head flop back to stare up at the ceiling. He really wished he had someone and hated that he was so useless at a) managing to find that someone, and b) managing to keep cool and initiate some kind of romantic involvement. He'd never been any good at it in the past and he was thankful that somehow guys seemed to do all the work for him. Why couldn't he manage to do it for himself, just for once? The mechanics of it didn't seem that hard on the surface, but when it came to practice he was worse than useless. It wasn't a great feeling but he was comforted slightly by the fact that sheer chance hadn't been completely unkind to him in the past. Perhaps some people were just meant to rely on random romantic opportunities when they presented themselves in order to find someone. Perhaps that was the universe's quirky way of making sure nobody missed out. Then again, Jack always seemed to mess up his chances and they had been coming around far less often lately. Perhaps you only got so many before the universe said 'you're on your own, kid'.

Crossing his legs and cracking his neck, he stared out the window again and lamented the fact that he hadn't had sex in about six months now and then began to wonder if that was the only reason he was interested in Bunny. Admittedly his mind had been circling mainly around that whenever he thought about him and debated the possibility that the reason he was interested in him was simply because he was so starved of a good romp. That, and the last guy he'd been with who he'd picked up in some bar on one random night out with Tooth, hadn't been particularly good in the sack and he figured he deserved someone rather skilled to make up for that as well.

"Ho hum" he audibly sighed as he once again crushed his libido deep back inside and got his phone back out to send a quick text to Tooth. Absent-mindedly, he tapped out a quick message asking her out for coffee when he arrived and sent it off without a second thought. After a minute or two he felt her reply buzz back and pulled his phone out again to check what she'd said.

He felt his heart sink as he noticed the name at the top of the screen. He hadn't thought to check the name of the last person's thread he had looked at since it was pretty much always Tooth's number he had open and ready. Double-checking himself, he began to bang the back of his head against the seat as he read the words, "Okay. Where do you wanna go?" under the name 'Bunny'.

_"Oh…shit…" _he thought as he huffed loudly and found he really didn't have the energy to become embarrassed again that week. He was tapped out and he just couldn't bring himself to tensing up like usual. _"You know what? Fuck it…" _he thought as he began his reply and told Bunny to meet him at a little café near the train station a little after the time he was due back. It was time to start paying for his mistakes, and since he had just made another one he wasn't going to run away this time. To hell with feeling like a total moron anymore. Now was the time to start owning up to things if life really had decided to come knocking, or rather hammering, at his door. He wasn't letting it get away with screwing him over again and now was the time for a show down.

Later, as he marched into the café with his case in hand, he sat down at a table with a look of determination on his face as if he were about to take a really difficult test. It wasn't the kind of place with waitresses and he kept getting funny looks from the barista who seemed to wonder if Jack actually thought he was going to go over and ask him what he wanted. Jack didn't care. He was here for one purpose, to lay out his messy feelings in front of Bunny and then come to some kind of conclusion as to where they stood.

It seemed to take forever for Bunny to arrive and as time ticked on Jack began to feel nervousness creeping in at the sides of his consciousness again. He fought questions about whether this had been a good idea as they presented themselves and did his best to ignore the doubts that were now coming thick and fast. He had to do this. There was no backing out.

After what seemed like an age, Bunny wandered in through the glass door and came over when he saw Jack sitting alone. Jack smiled weakly when he laid eyes on him and marvelled, as per usual, at how good he looked. It seemed even on a weekend he dressed well but the main feature, of course, was his sculpted body and perfect face. The sight of him nearly knocked Jack into a mixed up daze but she threw that sappiness out before it had a chance to take hold.

"Hey, stranger" Bunny said with a noticeably false relaxed front.

"Hey" Jack replied with same expression.

"Where you been all week?"

"Just busy, I guess. What can I get you?"

Bunny glanced at the menu up above the cash register and then ordered something mundane. Jack decided to go for regular old filter coffee today as he didn't think a sugar rush would do him any favours. When the drinks finally came he brought them over and sat down making sure not to catch Bunny's eye.

"How were your lessons?" Bunny asked with a similarly obvious hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Fine. You been doing anything today?"

"A little work out and then not much after. It was nice to get your text"

"Yeah, I…I figured you might not be busy"

"Hm…you guessed right"

"So…uh…how are your students coming?"

"Great. Yeah, really great. I…I really like teaching"

"You always done it?"

"I started in high school and then lived off of it through college"

"In New York?"

"Yeah"

"Did you and Tooth both teach?"

"Hardly. She never needed money"

"How so?"

"Rich parents"

"I guess there were a lot of those at Julliard"

"We didn't go to Julliard. We both went to the Manhattan School"

"Oh, sorry. I just assumed a private music college in New York meant…you know"

"Hm…yeah. Well, we were happy there"

"I bet. It's nice when you find your niche"

"Yeah. Well, we certainly did. I guess I've been looking for it again here"

"Don't feel like you have it?"

"Sorta. I don't know. I guess I'm just hoping to get noticed…you know, properly"

"Yeah, I know that feeling"

"Hmm."

"Yeah"

The two sat there for a moment waiting for the other to speak.

"So, you…always go home on Saturdays?" Bunny asked

"Yeah, pretty much"

"Students don't wanna come in, huh?"

"A couple do. This one kid who's actually pretty good comes in midweek"

"Is he promising?"

"I'll say. He'll be hitting high school soon and then who knows? I'd love to see him go to a music college"

"Quite a way away yet though, right?"

"Yeah, a few years. But it's nice to see someone who's got the chops for it"

"Yeah. Like you, I guess"

"Huh?"

"It's why I chose you for concertmaster"

"Oh…well, thanks"

"No worries"

"You sure it wasn't just because you didn't know anyone else?"

"Maybe. But North seemed to think you had it in you, so…"

"Well, that's reassuring"

"Maybe getting noticed is sooner around the corner than you think"

"Maybe. It's nice to be believed in. If only for a little while"

"And, what will you do if you get an offer?"

"Well, I'd have to audition if I wanted to move on"

"And will you? You know, audition for something else?"

"If the right opportunity comes along. Maybe"

"I see. Well, I wish you the best of luck"

"Thanks. I guess I would wish you the same were you not already doing so well"

"Well, it's not as impressive as it looks. I've had a lot of being in the right place at the right time"

"It's not everyday you see someone as young as you being invited to guest for a season"

"No, I guess not. Still, the inheritance helped me get into good schools so I guess that opened some doors"

"Right" said Jack as he watched Bunny look down at his coffee and fiddle with the handle on the cup. He didn't know if it would be okay to pry and so he just waited for Bunny to carry on.

"I guess I can be proud to know the hard work's paying off"

"I bet you can" said Jack with a smile hoping he hadn't steered Bunny into feeling bad, "If you work everywhere else like you do here then I bet there's no limit to how far you can go"

"Aim for the top and know you tried your best, I always say"

"Not a bad philosophy"

"Well, I'm sure there are better ones"

"Hmm. Who knows?"

"Hmm"

Again they were silent and Jack wondered whether they had talked too much for him to bring up what he had hoped they could get out of the way. Talking with Bunny seemed so natural but today it was working against him. The more they chatted, the more he lost sight of how to get to where he wanted to go although the awkwardness that had been hanging over their conversation certainly hadn't moved anywhere. It seemed they both knew what they were here for and delaying it wasn't making it any easier.

With a deep breath, Jack flicked his eyes down and decided to go for broke.

"Look, Bunny, the reason I haven't been-"

"Stop" Bunny said making Jack look up worriedly with his head still tilted down. He looked at Bunny through his big, blue and clearly troubled eyes and as Bunny looked back he felt his heart melt as Jack's expression penetrated his soul. He took a second to let it pass before he spoke again. "Look, Jack. Whatever that was last week, it's okay. I don't mind if you just wanna forget about it and say it never happened. I mean, the orchestra might rag on for a while but I won't bother you about it if you don't want. I don't want you to feel weird around me and I really hope we can still hang out"

Jack looked back down and wondered if he should just take what Bunny had offered and be grateful. It certainly would be easier than trying to admit how he really felt and being a good friend with him was something he really wanted to maintain.

After sighing he found he just couldn't accept it though and gulped before tilting his head up to look at Bunny head on.

"Thing is, I do kind of…like you"

Bunny raised an eyebrow and Jack once again cursed himself for not being able to get the words out. In a sudden fit of frustration Jack slapped his hands to his face and groaned hard into them. "Grrr! Why is it so hard to talk to you?!" he moaned before looking at Bunny again. "Look, Bunny. When I first saw you, I thought you were really hot and I…still do. But look, I don't wanna mess up what we've got, you know? I like hanging out with you. We just seem to click. So, can we just carry on as we were without worrying about things getting weird? You don't have to worry about me being attracted to you. I won't let on"

Bunny took a second to process what Jack had said, then blinked, and smiled. Not his usual wry smirk, but a warmer, softer, understanding kind of smile.

"Thing is, Jack, I think you're pretty hot too"

"You do?" Jack asked stunned.

"Yeah. You're just…adorable. You're crazy, don't get me wrong, but you're sweet, and you look…well, let's just leave it at I think you're hot too"

Jack sat there and couldn't fend off a smile that wanted to crawl onto his lips. Bunny saw it and began to laugh which in turn coaxed a shy giggle from Jack as his smile nearly cracked the sides of his cheeks.

"Okay, so, what do we do now?" Jack asked feeling his courage start to carry him away.

"Well, let's just stop for a second and think. This is a pretty messed up situation"

"Totally"

"So, maybe we shouldn't jump to anything rash. Let's just go back to being friendly and then, with a clean slate, who knows? Maybe we can go out sometime?"

"Really?" asked Jack trying to keep his smile from becoming comical. Bunny couldn't help but smile back. Head on, Jack's smile was even more beautiful and as those perfectly straight, gleaming pearly whites dazzled him he looked up into Jack's now joyful eyes and said,

"Yeah. I'd like that"

"I'd like that too" said Jack softly

"Well, keep your phone on. Who knows who might come a-callin'?"

The two smiled at each other again and then looked away shyly. It was awkward, but a different kind of awkward. It was nice and inside Jack couldn't help but let the swarm of butterflies that had emerged from somewhere flutter to their hearts' content.

"Okay, enough of this…silliness" Bunny said as he clapped his hands together. "Is that your violin I see?"

Jack looked down as the subject was suddenly changed.

"Oh…yeah?"

"Let's rehearse together again. Tuesday was a complete write-off"

"Was it? You said plenty"

"Well, I was just trying to break the silence. Come on, the concert hall's not too far from here, right? Let's go there now"

"We'll have to stay out of the way of whoever's using it"

"Ah, no worries. They'll stay in the theatre side. We'll go to our regular room"

"Okay" thought Jack as he downed the last of his coffee and then got up with his violin. Bunny held the door open for him as he went through and Jack smiled at how gentlemanly he was being. Was he being courted? Now that it was on the cards was Bunny going to start flirting with him and treating him like his crush? He hoped so, and as they walked down the street Jack felt, just for a little while, like someone actually liked him. Like, liked him liked him. He felt so silly, but so good too.

When they arrived, they quietly made their way into the building. It felt weird to be here on a Saturday when no one was there but it meant they got to walk in without anyone making a comment about them being together. When they got up to the room, Jack and Bunny chatted for a little while as Jack put his violin together and pretty soon they were back where they usually were with Jack in the middle and Bunny at the side watching him play.

They spent a little while going through some of the shorter pieces and it felt nice to be able to talk without any awkwardness holding them up. They were friends again and they could chat and laugh without having to worry about any connotations attaching themselves to their words. Everything was going perfectly smoothly and it just felt right to both of them.

After an unknown amount of time, they came to Swan Lake and Bunny decided to make a big deal out of it. He imitated the overly flirtatious dancer Jack had dealt with a couple of weeks beforehand and it made him laugh to watch Bunny jump around and act overly smarmy. Jack then took it upon himself to act like a jealous Bunny and his mocking characterization made Bunny laugh. Eventually he told Jack to stop messing around and get on with playing which he did.

As per usual, Jack began and Bunny listened as he tried to make it sound sexy and, as per usual, he didn't really do a convincing job. Bunny stopped him after only a few bars and wondered if maybe the lack of something to play off of was the problem. Sitting down at the piano, he led Jack in and together they began to play through the piece.

The addition of a beat helped Jack a little but it wasn't that great. There was something about the driving force within that was off and Bunny knew what it was. He just didn't feel like teasing Jack today though, what with the incredibly delicate situation they'd dealt with and thankfully resolved an hour or so ago. Still, that was when he knew Jack played at his best and he wished he could think of a way to rile him up without making him mad.

"Oi, Jack"

"What?" the smaller man replied as he paused his playing.

"Gas prices are high"

"What?"

"Gays can't get married. The deficit is skyrocketing. Justin Bieber is growing ever more popular"

"What?!" Jack asked looking perplexed.

"I'm trying to piss you off"

"You're just confusing me!

"You often get confused? Are you stupid or something?"

"What?" Jack asked with a smile.

"You're not supposed to laugh! You have to get angry."

"Why?"

"You play better when you're angry"

"I do not"

"Yes, you do"

"Really?"

"Yes"

"Well, sorry. I just don't feel like getting angry today"

Bunny sighed and smiled. "Okay, fine. But the thing is, this bit's all about seduction. It's extremely romantic and sweet but it's still the black swan being seductive and sexy. You can't play it non-seductively"

"You've been telling me how to play this for ages and I still don't know how you want me to do it"

"Just…I dunno. Move with it, let it consume you. Feel as if you were being seduced. In fact, that's it. Let the music seduce you. Fall into it and let it lead you into playing it sexily"

"…Alright" Jack said after a moment and lifting his violin again. Bunny watched him reposition himself and start to play and smirked when he saw the boy slouching and not really doing what he said.

"Okay, that's it" he said before stepping forward and grabbing Jack under the arms. Jack yelped as his upper body was hoisted up and nearly fell when his legs were spaced properly apart. It felt weird to have Bunny manipulate him but he wasn't complaining. "Right. Now play it again" Bunny said before leaning in close to his ear and whispering, "And remember…seduce me"

Jack swooned a little as he felt Bunny's hot breath on his ear and had to shake his head a little to clear his mind. Something about that warm tickle on his neck from Bunny's words did something to him on the inside and he felt a strange kind of breathless excitement spark up deep within.

As he started to play once again, Bunny slowly circled him just far enough away to avoid being hit by Jack's bow. He watched him sway and move with the music and marvelled at how much better a change in posture made him sound. Jack looked truly splendid as he made his wide, heavy bow strokes and Bunny wondered what he could have done to make such a difference. Surely it had to be something more than hoisting him up but he just couldn't think of what. That, and his concentration was now completely focused on how perfect Jack looked as he played. He really was beautiful and that was not a word he applied to a man very often. It just fit with Jack though whether it was his perfectly angelic face or his lithe and alluring body or his undeniable talent, Bunny had never felt more attracted to him than he did at that moment.

Pretty soon, as usual, Jack started to sound a little sloppy again but instead of stopping him, Bunny, without even thinking, decided to step up behind and snake his arms around Jack's middle whilst positioning his head at Jack's right ear.

"Don't stop" he said quickly making sure Jack didn't halt the piece, "Remember what I said" he breathed as he began to rub his hands around Jack's tummy and chest. "It's all about seduction". He had meant for his actions to be comical but somehow they seemed to take on a rather more genuine tone than he intended as time went on. He didn't stop though. It seemed to be working and as he continued to run his hands over Jack's form he felt the boy's breathing pick up and his heart began to thump hard. Pretty soon he heard Jack stop playing as he began to quiver in his grasp and couldn't believe the heavy breaths coming out of him as he stood there being felt up from behind. Leaning his head forward just slightly, Bunny noticed Jack had his eyes closed as he melted into the moment and little by little he became more absorbed in Bunny's firm, invasive grasp.

Bunny couldn't believe what he was doing. He was practically molesting Jack as he was trying to play but for whatever reason it seemed to be working. There was something so incredibly erotic about the way Jack responded to his touch and as he fell down into the depths of impassioned arousal, so too did Bunny find it hard not to follow him. Little by little he lost his ability to control what he was doing and felt his growing desire take over. He knew he shouldn't have been doing it but he couldn't stop, even though Jack had long stopped playing. Without reducing any firmness in his grasp, Bunny began to run both hands down towards Jack's belt where he lingered for a moment as he breathed against the skin on his neck. Then, after a second or two he began to snake one hand under his hoodie and pushed it up onto the skin under his shirt. Jack let out a heated huff as he felt Bunny's warm touch snake its way past his belly button and up towards his chest. As he did it, Jack produced a soft, high-pitched yelp as Bunny rubbed his fingers onto his chest, his entire torso now almost entirely exposed. At the same time, Bunny began to rub his other hand downwards over Jack's belt and then very slowly let it slide over the front of his pants. Jack's hands quivered around his violin and he did his best not to drop it as Bunny reached down to grab the tight bulge between his hips. Without waiting, the big, muscular man grasped the erection that screamed to be set free through his pants and the sudden flurry of pleasure that shot from Jack's groin up to his head forced him to start vocalizing each breath.

As his mind began to explode with his overwhelming arousal, Jack tuned his head towards Bunny's and shakily breathed out his name as his lips begged to be kissed. Slowly, Bunny began to turn his own head and then just as they were about to graze together he pulled his whole body away and stepped back leaving the quivering Jack Frost standing alone in the middle of the room.

As soon as he turned back, Bunny grabbed his violin and bow and quickly took them over to his case. Jack then watched as he spun around and then marched towards him with a steely, ambitious look on his face. He almost looked menacing as he advanced on Jack and then, without warning, he grabbed Jack's face and mashed their lips together animalistically. Jack's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he felt Bunny assault his mouth and then let them fall closed as he felt the rest of his body give itself over to his desire. In an instant Jack felt his mouth invaded by Bunny's tongue and did his best to kiss back through the dreamy, sexual haze that clouded his mind and wrapped him up in pleasure.

Without letting him fall, Bunny slowly marched Jack backwards until he had him against the wall and then let himself loose on Jack's body. He didn't waste a second in unbuttoning Jack's pants and letting them slide to the ground. He then forcefully stuffed his hand inside the Jack's underwear making him moan earthily as he felt Bunny grasp him. As he felt Bunny grip him he wrapped his arms around his neck and succumbed to letting the man do whatever he wanted to him. He barely noticed Bunny unzipping his own pants and letting them fall to where Jack's also rested around his ankles. Pretty soon, Jack felt Bunny pull off everything but his hoodie and then cried out as he felt Bunny hoist him onto the window ledge. He flinched as his bare butt connected with the cold tile of the ledge but quickly forgot as he saw Bunny spit into his hand and reach down to fondle himself. Fiercely but caringly, he hooked Jack's legs over his arms and then pressed himself against him, pausing only to let their tongues dance a little more before entering him.

Jack yelped as he felt Bunny push into him and gritted his teeth at the sting that lingered for a few moments thereafter. Spit was not a good lube, but he had already known that and hadn't stopped him. He quickly forgot anyway as Bunny worked his tongue back into his mouth and moaned as he felt Jack clench around his manhood. After giving Jack a moment to get used to it he gently began to thrust against him and huffed as he did so. It was slow and not as slippery as he would have liked but it was so hot to know that this was really happening.

Jack was somewhere else entirely. His mind was flying about a mile higher than his body and he barely noticed all of the little things Bunny did to him as they made love in the dimming light that filtered in through the window behind him. Actually, making love was inaccurate. There was nothing delicate or sweet about this. This was the release of about four weeks worth of increasing sexual tension and it most certainly could not be called lovemaking. They were fucking, plain and simple, and Jack couldn't believe how good it felt just to let Bunny ride him.

After a few minutes of grunting and when Bunny's rocking back and forth had become almost impossibly wild, he let out a loud, carnal cry which echoed around the room and slammed his hips against Jack as he climaxed into him. Bunny gripped Jack hard as he moaned with each clench of his muscles and then, as quick as it had begun, it was over. The two simply held their position against the window and panted against one another as Bunny came down from his orgasm. That had been, without a doubt, one of the most mind-blowingly amazing screws of his life and as he stood there trying to catch his breath, he rested his face against Jack's neck and breathed heavily against his skin. Jack simply held on as tight as he could to Bunny as he rested his weight against him and panted just as much as he did. After a little while, Bunny brought his head back up and then leaned forward to kiss Jack gently and amorously as the silence of the room surrounded them.

"Jack…" he whispered gently when they parted, "that was…"

"Please, not yet" Jack hissed as he grabbed Bunny's hand and pushed it down to his groin. Bunny took a second to figure out what he meant but then quickly figured it out. He smirked ever so gently and then whispered, "Where are my manners?" before pulling away from Jack and letting his legs down as he dropped down to the his hips. Without hesitating he took Jack into his mouth and made him moan as he reached up to fondle his balls. Jack's chest began to heave again as Bunny pleasured him and the excitement of the situation didn't let him last long. After only a couple of minutes, Jack gripped hard and arched his body over Bunny's head as he met his own release and then flopped back against the glass of the window, exhausted.

Bunny came back up, whipping his mouth on his hand and then pulled Jack into his arms as he helped him down from the window ledge. The two stood there in silence for a long time, enjoying each other's bodies for just a little longer. Jack couldn't believe how warm Bunny was and in contrast, Bunny couldn't believe Jack was so cold. He'd never noticed it before but he figured it went well with his snowy white skin.

After a while, Bunny stepped back from Jack and reached down to pull his pants up. Going over to Jack's case, he simply said "Get dressed, you're coming with me" before starting to pack away his violin. In silence, Jack simply complied and then ran, albeit slowly on his now shaky legs, to Bunny as he opened the door. The two quickly kissed again before hurrying out of the concert hall and jumping into a cab. On the way to Bunny's place they snuggled against one another in the back of the car, every so often looking up to let their lips meet once more.

Jack couldn't believe it. Had this actually happened? Had it really or was it just some wonderful dream. The night that followed would most certainly assure him that it was real life and he couldn't have been happier.

**Well, it finally happened! Jack and Bunny not only admitted that they liked each other, they had sex on it to seal the deal. Well, you were all wondering when the rating was going up. I just hope it wasn't too disgustingly smutty. Or, if it wasn't smutty enough, I apologise. Maybe I'll write a super X-rated version as a bonus chapter when this fic ends. Or maybe that would be gross. I dunno.**

**Anyway, thanks again for all your lovely reviews. Please keep sending them 'cos I love to read them. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Over a thousand hits in one day on Thursday the 7****th**** of March! OMG! You guys are fantastically awesome!**

**I love that I'm finally up to this part. Writing the awkward stop starty Jack/Bunny moments was as frustrating to write as it seems it was to read. At least now I can write fluffy, but also sexy things that I've been gradually thinking up! I'll try to make it tasteful though. At least, I won't be writing "Meanwhile, inside Jack Frost's underpants…" That would be weird. Still, it's fun to write naughty things. Yay underpants playtime!**

**WARNING: More sexytime in this story. Well, not so explict but…well, you'll see… In any case, THERE'S SOME GAYNESS COMING YOUR WAY so if you don't like it, you'd better jog off home.**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 12**

These were some soft sheets to say the least. They smelled so fresh and must have been newly put on yesterday. They felt wonderful on his skin and as he cracked his eyes open and looked straight in the direction his head was turned he noticed something strange. "_That's not my alarm clock" _he thought as stared at the sleek black digital thing that sat on a nightstand that was very alien to him as well. Turning his head to lay flat he stared up and thought _"That's not my ceiling". _Gently lifting his head up he looked around in his dazed state and began to wonder why everything was different. And then, as his mind suddenly fired up and his memory turned on, it hit him.

He was in Bunny's bed. Not only that, he was bare-ass naked in Bunny's bed and suddenly the softness of the sheets felt much less nice on his skin. Even though he was completely covered he felt entirely exposed and quickly grasped the layers to his chest to try and wrap himself up a little more. Then, as he suddenly realized the reality of the situation, he let his head flop back, closed his eyes and felt a low, rumbling giggle build in his chest.

This had happened. This had actually freaking happened! He'd actually spent the night at Bunny's and now he was actually waking up in his actual bed. It was crazy and completely unexpected and as Jack tried to take it all in he couldn't stop the laughing he fought to keep contained within. Perhaps he should have been feeling remorseful or worried, seeing as he'd now screwed his boss, but he just couldn't feel that way if he tried. He was just so happy! It felt as if he'd won the lottery and he had to screw up the sheets against his face to prevent Bunny from hearing him laugh.

Then he paused. Where was Bunny? He had been here when they'd fallen asleep, hadn't he? Yes, he had been laying right next to him and Jack distinctly remembered how nice it had been to curl up against his big, warm form and how Bunny had commented that he felt much warmer than he had earlier. That had been a surprise, no one had ever said they found him warm to the touch before. Of course, such a statement was silly. After all he was still human and produced body heat like anyone else. Then again, his poor circulation did seem to make people flinch whenever they touched his hands. To be fair though, Bunny had touched far more than his hands last night so he must have found a few warm spots during his exploration. Bunny, by contrast, had radiated heat from his skin like fire and several times Jack had to pull the covers away after they'd settled down to let some of it disperse. It was nice to be cuddled up to someone so warm though. After all it wasn't everyday he had another person to keep him cosy through the night – save perhaps for Tooth whenever one of them slept over at the others although this really wasn't the same thing.

None of this answered his earlier question though, where was Bunny? Sitting up and keeping the sheet clutched to his chest, Jack looked around at the room and noticed how neat everything was. It seemed Bunny was as tidy as Tooth and- No. Scratch that. No one was as tidy as Tooth. _"Don't be ridiculous, Jack" _he thought to himself. It did, however, seem Bunny was tidy enough to have tidied away every single piece of Jack's clothing that had ended up all over the room during the previous evening's fun and games. As he continued to look around he could find no trace of it anywhere. Slipping his legs over the side of the bed and jumping up lightly so as not to alert Bunny to his rising – wherever he was – he dragged the sheet from the bed with him and wrapped himself up as he stepped through the bathroom door. His clothes weren't in there either and now, feeling a little embarrassed, he wondered if he could really step out of the room with nothing but a sheet covering him.

Did he really have a choice though? Bunny didn't even have a bathrobe hanging up and there was literally nothing else he could use unless he dove through the man's closet. After looking around a little more and still finding no trace of his clothes, he then closed his eyes and sighed as he figured he would just have to go out and ask. So, with a steadying breath, he reached for the door handle, retightened his grip on the sheet covering him, and quietly opened the door. It may have been embarrassing, but it was also really rather exciting to be wandering naked through Bunny's apartment.

The bedroom opened out into a short hallway and as he slowly stepped along it he did his best to avoid making the hardwood floor creak. It was an old kind of place with high ceilings and everything made of wood, but it had been modernized and there was plenty of white on the walls which were themselves covered with cool, contemporary art. Bunny's bedroom had been a little more muted than out here with darker woods and softer light but the theme seemed to flow from room to room and Jack was impressed by what he saw as he continued to slowly walk towards what he remembered as the living room. He didn't know what he hoped to accomplish by doing it but for some reason it just felt weird to stride around Bunny's apartment loudly – especially when he was in the buff. Little by little he made his way to the living room door where he could hear some gentle shifting and, just before going in, stopped and peaked his head around the doorframe to see what was going on.

Inside, he saw Bunny sitting on a yoga mat, cross-legged wearing black sweatpants with his hands pressed together as if he were praying. From the door, Jack could see the sweatpants were obviously designer and he would have figured it typical for Bunny were he not so drawn to his perfectly straight, muscular back as he sat their silently meditating. Facing away from Jack, he was turned to the big window through which the morning sun streamed and as he watched him he noticed he was breathing in and out with deep, measured breaths. Jack just watched him contentedly for a little while but then perked up when he saw Bunny break his position and rise from the floor.

"Oh. Morning, Jacky" Bunny said surprised as he turned around. He then softened his expression as he took in the sight of the wrapped up boy at the door. The whiteness of the sheet highlighted the flesh tones in his skin which Bunny knew must have existed somewhere in him. They were clearly visible now and somehow Jack looked even more beautiful. Still, instead of looking entranced he decided he was going to play it cool and so slowly began to wander over to him with a little bit of swagger in his stride. "Finally awake, sleepy head?"

Jack gently smiled back at him and averted his eyes shyly. "Yeah. I uh…what are you doing?"

"Just a little yoga. Started with Tai Chi but then it sort of ended in this"

"You know Tai Chi?"

"Ever since I was a kid"

"Oh…" said Jack starting to feel self-conscious as Bunny approached.

"I hope you don't mind that I didn't wake you up. You looked so peaceful I just couldn't bring myself to do it" he said as he came within an arm's length of Jack. Pausing, he reached out and snaked his arms around Jack's waist before pulling him gently towards his body. Jack felt his cheeks redden as Bunny wrapped him up in his embrace and then felt the taller man tilt his head up. As he intertwined his fingers into Jack's hair with one hand he delicately coaxed him up to his level with the other and lightly kissed his beautiful lips. It was a sweet, gentle kiss and was strikingly different to the fervent, impassioned chewing of each other's faces they had employed the previous night. As they broke away from each other, Jack kept his eyes closed and felt his head find it's place in the crook of Bunny's neck. He rested it there for a moment before quietly speaking.

"Last night was fantastic. Thank you"

"Thank you, mate. Feels weird to call you that now."

"What do you wanna call me?"

"I dunno. I guess…babe?"

"That sounds even weirder"

"Hmm. How about just Jack for now?"

"That'll do"

They once again let their lips graze together briefly before Jack spoke again.

"Hey. Where are my clothes?"

"Over there on the sofa"

Jack looked to see his clothes neatly folded in a pile and smiled.

"What are they doing out here? I thought they came off in the bedroom"

"Most of them were out here. I figured I'd put them where I did the most work picking them up"

"Oh my God…" said Jack as he smiled shyly whilst burying his face against Bunny's skin. "This is so weird"

"Why?"

"It's just…embarrassing"

"Don't worry about it" Bunny said as he tightened his grip around the sheet-clad boy he held. "You shouldn't need to be too embarrassed about anything anymore. I mean…I've seen you naked"

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"It sounded better in my head" he said softly as he nuzzled Jack's messy hair.

"Well, I hope I didn't give you too much to laugh about"

"On the contrary. I'd say it's all really rather nice"

"So, does that mean you'll be making a return visit?"

Bunny smiled wider, "You can bet your fine arse on it"

Jack smiled at the reference and repositioned his head's position on Bunny's neck. After a few perfectly silent moments, Bunny spoke up again.

"Anyway, listen. Let me just jump in the shower and I'll make you something."

"It's okay. Don't go to any trouble"

"What? Oh no, Jacky. When you spend the night at my place you get the full package. Breakfast, cuddles and cab fare"

"Haha. Cab fare? Okay, fine. But really, don't go to too much trouble"

"It's no trouble. Besides, I want you to remember it as…well, something special"

"Well, if what's to come is anything like what's already been, you won't need to worry"

"And how exactly has it been?" asked Bunny as he brought his hands back around Jack's body and slid them under the sheet to feel his soft, white skin on his own once more.

"Not bad" teased Jack he felt Bunny slide his hands up his back.

"Not bad? Well…" Bunny began before pausing to kiss Jack again. "…I'll have to see what I can about chalking up some extra points"

Gently Jack began to feel Bunny pull the sheet away from around his shoulders and, as his tongue delicately worked its way into his mouth again, he let it fall to the ground and placed his now empty hands around the tanned man's neck. He stood completely naked in the doorway of Bunny's living room as they softly kissed in the gentle morning light and it wasn't long before Bunny scooped his hands down past Jack's hips and hoisted him up to carry him back to the bedroom.

It was an hour and a half before they finally came out for breakfast.

_Later that morning…_

Jack watched with a smile as Bunny poured some eggs from the pan he had been using onto his plate.

"You cook much?" he asked as the taller man poured some onto his own plate. It smelled really good.

"Yeah. I don't eat out all that often"

"Wish I could cook as good as this"

"It's nothing special" he said as he sat down opposite Jack who was now showered and dressed. "I hope it's okay though. There's no meat in it"

"You're not vegetarian, are you?"

"Haha! You joking?! I'm from Australia, mate. Land of barbeques. If you don't eat meat they throw you clean out the country"

"Haha. Sounds like Texas"

"Well, I exaggerate. It's not that bad. Still, how can you go through a summer without a barbie and a beer?"

"Must suck to have to come to freezing cold Pittsburgh from summertime back home"

"Ah, it's not so bad. I left just as it was starting to get roasting although it was a bit of a shock when I stepped out of the airport for the first time. I didn't even have a jacket on"

"Bet you felt pretty stupid. Were people looking at you?"

"Yeah. Didn't take long for me to run out and buy a proper coat. Speaking of which, don't you feel cold all the time in just that little hoodie?"

"No. I never really feel that cold. It's the heat I can't stand. Most people always say I'm freezing"

"I noticed" chuckled Bunny and making Jack smile shyly. "Just your hands and feet though. And kind of your arms and legs. And, well…yeah, most of you"

"Hope it didn't put you off. You're really warm"

"Sunshine in the blood, I suppose. It's nice to have someone to keep warm though"

Jack smiled up at him and tried not to blush. "Well, you certainly managed that. It was…nice"

"What? Keeping you warm?"

"Well, yeah but I meant…you know…just…lying there…with you"

Bunny smiled back, "Well, for what it's worth, I thought so too"

They sat there quietly for a moment before Jack decided to push forward the awkward, morning-after question.

"So…what now?"

"Huh?"

"Well, now that we've…done this, what do we do now?"

"Ah" said Bunny before taking another mouthful of eggs and keeping Jack hanging. "Well, yesterday we said we weren't gonna rush things"

"And then this happened. Or, more specifically, you made this happen"

"I didn't hear you moaning about it. Well, actually, there was plenty of moaning but no complaining as I recall"

"Haha. So, what do we take from that?"

"I dunno. Do we…just carry on as we said or do we rethink things?"

"Well, without being gross, I hope you think it's okay if we…you know…again"

Bunny smiled mischeviously, "You can say it, Jack. I would very much like to fuck you again"

"Okay" chuckled Jack, "That's good. So, I guess that makes us…friends with benefits?"

"Hmm" started Bunny as he looked down at his plate quietly for a moment. "Thing is…I'd still really like if maybe we could…you know…go out sometime" he said before he began to ramble nervously. "If you want. I mean, if you don't then that's okay. If you wanna just screw around every now and then I don't wanna make it weird by asking you out. Even though we said we would, things are kinda different now. If that's what you want. Then again, maybe I've already made it weird by saying all this"

"No, you haven't. I do still wanna out maybe"

"Maybe? There's doubt?"

"I don't know. This is so awkward to talk about!"

"I know!" Bunny huffed amusedly. "Look, let me just lay it out plain and simple. I like you, and ideally it would have been nice to take you out before I dragged you to bed"

"Well, what's done is done" Jack cut in cheekily.

"Anyway, I meant what I said. I'd really like to date you properly…if you're open to that. Okay, thoughts?"

Jack smiled and bit his lip, "Well, thanks for putting it so bluntly"

"You're welcome"

"And, well, if you're asking me then…yes. I would love to go out with you"

"You would?"

"Yeah" Jack said reflecting Bunny's extremely cheery smile. "But you have to do it properly. You can't just cop a feel halfway through and then fuck me up against a window"

They both started to giggle and then couldn't help but fall about laughing. It was kinda funny to think how bad they had been. They very easily could have been spotted and the memory of it was just so naughty. There was no regret between them though. It really had been brilliant and had fit the moment just perfectly.

"We probably can't do it there again" Jack said as he managed to get a word in through his laughing.

"Aw, shame. It was so hot!"

"We were lucky no one saw us! Just imagine what would've happened if they had"

"Well, no worries. They won't fire me, I've got tenure"

"They could fire me!"

"And that's my problem because…?" Bunny said with his smirk on his face.

"Hey! I could very easily go back on my yes to that date"

"No, you won't" Bunny said as he got up from his seat and wandered around to Jack's side. Leaning down he tilted Jack's face up and kissed him gently once more. "I won't let you"

"Is that threat?" Jack asked as there faces lingered only inches apart.

"Yes. You don't even wanna know what I'll do if you back out"

"Maybe I need to be taught a lesson" he replied enticingly as he snaked his arms around Bunny's neck.

"Bloody hell! You're insatiable!" He kissed Jack again. "Anyway, we can't. I'm totally out of lube"

"What? So what are we supposed to do all day?"

"You mean you're sticking around all day long?" Bunny teased

"Ugh! What happened to full package Bunny?"

"Hey, I didn't say anything about spending the day with you"

"Well, too bad. You're stuck with me"

"Hmm, okay. Well, I'm sure you can think of somewhere to take me"

"I'm sure I can" Jack said as he smiled and leaned up to taste Bunny's lips again. He then pulled away and let Bunny clean up their plates. Things had been just great. A perfect night and a perfect morning to follow meant it had been a magical weekend and Jack just couldn't believe it had all happened.

The only thing that cast a shadow on it was the same question that had been nagging at him since the first time they had fooled around. He didn't want to ruin things but it was important and he didn't want to have to worry about it. He figured it wasn't a completely out-of-place question between gays though, and he hoped the same mentality was also found in the Australian gay community.

"So, Bunny...uh…Do you think…maybe we should...you know, use condoms from now on?"

Bunny paused for a second as he cleaned up the dishes and then turned to Jack.

"Is there much point anymore?"

"I guess not. Sorry for not thinking about it sooner. I guess I should have thought."

"No, it's my fault too. I should have said something"

"Well, as long as there's nothing to worry about…"

"Oh, no worries. Can I…assume the same?"

"Oh yeah, sure. I thought about it after the first time but I didn't know how to bring it up."

"Okay. Well, as long as there's nothing to worry about I guess there's no harm done." The two were silent for a few moments before Bunny turned from the sink and then spoke up.

"Well, now that that grossness is out of the way, let's go out"

"Okay. But let's swing by my apartment first. I wanna change. And actually, I should get some practice in today. You know, since I didn't really get any on Swan Lake yesterday"

"Hey, I think you had a breakthrough"

"How do you figure?"

"Well, you certainly found the right driving force to play it"

"I think it was you who found that force for me. After all, you did explore pretty thoroughly"

"Well, at least you've got something to think about now every time you play that piece."

"Are you kidding? I can't concentrate if I think about that"

"Well, maybe we do need another rehearsal to tap into that energy. Although, I don't know how I'm gonna be able to hold back whenever I hear that piece from now on"

"Well, you'll have to find a way. You can't be throwing yourself at me when we're at work"

"Ah, let 'em watch" Bunny said as he pulled Jack up and wrapped his arms around his hips. "We are pretty good together"

"You bet your ass, we are"

"You mean your fine arse?"

"My ass can't take any more at the moment. Let alone a bet"

"Haha. Oh, I don't believe that. Care to put it to the test?"

"Again?!" Jack said exasperatedly. "I just showered"

"I've got plenty of hot water" Bunny said smiling.

"Well, I've barely got any butt left"

Bunny reached down and squeezed Jack's rear. "Feels like it's all there to me"

"Now who's insatiable?"

"Maybe we've both still got a lot of tension built up"

"I know I have"

"So…how about it?"

Jack chuckled and shook his head before reaching up and kissing Bunny again, "Tell you what. I've got lube at my place. Maybe we should just see what happens"

"Then what are we waiting for?"

The two quickly got their things together and headed out the door, down the hall and out to Bunny's car. Jack smiled a he looked out the window as they drove. It felt nice to already be behaving as if they were going out and it was a relief to have skipped all the awkward testing of the waters that usually accompanied people along the road of dating. Maybe it could have been considered weird to already be this comfortable with one another but maybe that's just how it went if you skipped the awkward stages. On the other hand, maybe their getting to know one another and their getting along so well up to this point counted as the build up and although they may have only known each other for a few weeks that must have been enough to justify them now being together, right?

_"Wait, what?" _Jack thought as he suddenly replayed the words in his head. Had he assumed they were together? Were they even together? Yeah, they'd spent the night rolling around in bed but surely that didn't mean they were going out. But then, what was all that they had talked about through breakfast? They had agreed they were definitely going on a date at some point but surely that didn't mean they were dating – at least not yet. Maybe there was a reason there was a regular order to this sort of thing and why sex came after plenty of work. It meant all the boxes had been ticked and there was nothing to worry about by the time it came around. So what did it mean for them? Jack didn't really know. All he did know as he sat back and simply tried not to worry about it was that he was happy. Well, not happy, more floaty and contented. Was euphoric the word? Maybe. It didn't matter. He simply felt okay with everything that had happened and, as he looked over at Bunny and observed his gentle smile as he drove, figured he felt the same way.

"Y'alright, Jacky?" Bunny asked as he saw Jack staring at him dreamily. "You're awfully quiet all of a sudden"

Jack sighed and smiled. "Yeah. I am"

_At Jack's apartment…_

Jack huffed as he stomped wearing nothing but his underwear out of his room towards his coffee table where his phone would not stop buzzing. Snatching it up he looked at the screen and rolled his eyes as he saw the list of missed calls and waiting texts from Tooth that trailed all the way back to yesterday evening. As time had gone on they had become far more demanding as to his whereabouts and he sighed frustratedly as he was torn between taking the time to reply and running back to Bunny in his bed.

Thinking about it, he decided Bunny had had enough of his time already and Tooth deserved his attention at least for a minute or two. So, sitting down on his couch, he leaned over his phone and tapped through to her number. It rang only once before she picked up.

"Jack! Where have you been?"

"You need to know where I am every second?" he asked sarcastically.

"Hey, that's the deal. We hardly ever go longer than a couple hours without chatting"

"Maybe we're too involved with each other"

"Maybe we are. But that doesn't answer my question"

"What question?"

"Where have you been? Did you stay in Burgess? I was worried you'd been drugged, raped and killed! You know, as an extreme"

Jack bit his lip and turned his head back to his bedroom door. He couldn't tell her what – or rather who – he had been doing. Of course he would eventually tell her but he couldn't let her know what was up before even he had it clear in his own head. It felt weird to lie to her but he really needed to figure out what was up before he let her go completely spazoid about it.

"Yyyeah. Yeah, I did"

"Are you sure?" he heard her say and knowing that she didn't buy it.

"Well, no. I mean…I nearly did"

"You nearly did?"

"I stayed late and then caught the last train outta there. I had to help mom with something"

"Oh, really? What was it?"

"What's with the third degree?"

"Come on, Jack! What were you really doing?"

"Nothing. I was in Burgess, I swear."

"Hmm, yeah. Well, when you're ready to tell me, I'll forgive you for lying"

"I'm not lying"

"The more you say that, the more lies you chalk up"

"Come on, Tooth. Would I lie to you?"

"When you're trying to hide something, yes."

"Well, you believe whatever you want"

"Don't worry. I will"

Jack snorted. "Fine, whatever. Look, I'm still…in Burgess"

"Uh huh" she said wryly. "I thought you said you caught the last train home"

"…Shit"

"Shit indeed"

Jack knew he had been cornered and knew there was only one way to get out of this without fessing up: frantic yammering. "Okay Tooth! Great talk! See you tomorrow! Bye bye bye bye bye! Love love love love love!" He hung up quickly and dropped his phone into his lap as he sat there looking sheepish. He didn't even hear Bunny creep up behind him and startled when he felt his hand land on his shoulder.

"Everything okay, mate?"

"Oh…yeah. Just lied to my best friend about what I've been doing all weekend and then screwing the lie up so she figured it out in a second"

"Aw, she'll get over it"

"Yeah, but now I figure she's gonna be riding me until I tell her"

"So, why don't you?"

"Because I'm still not sure what's happening with us"

"Didn't we just say we're taking it as it comes?"

"Yeah, but she'll wanna put a label on it"

"Why?"

"She likes it when people date. Anyone at all. It's like playing with dolls to her. And she likes calling X and Y boyfriend and girlfriend or whatever"

"So" Bunny began as he reached down and pulled Jack into his arms from behind, "Do you wanna be the boyfriend or the girlfriend when you tell her?"

Jack snorted. "I can't imagine you as the girlfriend"

"Haha. Doesn't it piss you off when straight guys ask that?"

"What? Which one of you is the girl?"

"Yeah"

"Totally. Why should there have to be a girl involved?"

"I know. But, what will you tell Tooth?"

Jack sighed. "I guess I'll tell her we're taking 'us' for a spin and seeing where it goes"

"And the sex?"

"Oh, I'll tell her all about that"

"Do you have to?"

"Of course! What are hags for?"

Bunny laughed, "Does she know you call her that?"

"Are you kidding? She wears it like a badge of honour"

"Haha. Well, I'm sure she'll be glad to have collected another"

"So your joining ranks as one of her fags, huh?"

"Well, it'll be pretty hard to fool around with you and not spend time with her. Since, you know, you two are joined at the hip"

"Don't worry. She won't be in bed with us"

"Oh good. I was worried."

"Hmm. So, anyway, weren't we going some place?"

"Well, if you really want to" Bunny said as he pulled Jack over the back of the couch and stood him in front of him. "You better put some clothes on"

"You too"

"I was thinking of going au natural. You know?"

"I wouldn't. You step out in that cold and these will freeze off" Jack said enticingly as he reached down and cupped Bunny's balls in his hand.

"Well, we can't have that"

"No, we cannot. Now go!" Jack said as he turned around and pushed Bunny away. "I can't spend the whole day naked in front of you!"

"Or can you?"

"Go!" Jack said pointing towards his bedroom door.

After getting ready, the two headed out for a walk and Jack showed Bunny his neighbourhood. It wasn't the fanciest of places and was a little rough and ready, but Bunny seemed interested as Jack told him little stories about what he had gotten up to in seemingly the most uninteresting of places. He told Bunny how he'd like to move into a nicer area but also how he couldn't due to his huge college and violin repayments. Bunny was, of course, sympathetic to Jack's plight and told him how he'd seen many a musician go under with the weight of paying off their instruments. It was a tough game, playing professionally, but Jack said he was happy having a foot in the door and Bunny understood. When they settled down for a drink, Jack asked Bunny why he had chosen Pittsburgh over the other cities he'd been invited to and Bunny told him how he had worried about coming after he'd accepted the invitation. On the flight over he had wondered if he'd made a mistake but then said he was glad he had come in the end. Jack did his best to act nonchalant when he asked if he was the reason Bunny didn't have any regrets and Bunny cheerily teased him back in response. That was how their conversation went on for the rest of the day as they wandered around town and dived in and out of places Jack thought might be cool. It was nice just to be out together knowing that nobody knew about them or what they had been up to. It felt good to amble along holding hands and just chat casually without having to worry about it being awkward anymore and as the hours flew by, so too did they begin to feel as if what they were doing really was right.

When evening fell, Jack and Bunny found themselves kissing on the steps outside Jack's apartment and finally broke when the cold became just a little too much for the taller man.

"Okay, seriously! I've got to go or I'm gonna freeze!"

"Aw, come on, ya baby! Grow a pair!"

"Oi! You might not care about keeping your fingers, but I do and I have GOT to get some place warm soon"

"You know, my apartment's pretty warm" Jack said as he reached up to kiss Bunny again.

"But all my stuff's back at my place"

"Does it matter?"

"It does if I want to look presentable tomorrow morning"

"But we're having so much fun"

"I know. And it's been wonderful. But let's quit while we're ahead, eh? I'll see you tomorrow"

"Really?"

"Yes. Now, come on. Let go"

"No"

"Jack, no kidding. Get off me"

"No! Stay here!"

"Either you let go or you're coming with me"

"Maybe I will"

"And how will I drive with you around my neck?"

"You'll find a way. I'll help a much as I can"

"No, come on. It's not long 'til tomorrow. Then we'll have all the time in the world to stare at each other knowingly and not give rise to any suspicion"

"Ooh, I can't wait"

Bunny smiled. "Don't worry, we'll figure this out. Until then, Jacky"

"Okay" Jack replied as he received Bunny's warm lips one last time before he let him go. He watched Bunny as he walked back to his car and then waved as he drove off. Turning around and going through his door he felt a smile begin to grow on his face as he climbed the stairs. The day had been just so wonderful and Bunny had made him feel so special as they had wandered around together. It was too early to tell but it certainly felt like the start of something good. Or at least, he could only hope it was.

Across town, in a dark, shadowy room lit only by the ghostly light of a computer screen, a dark figure sat hunched over a keyboard as the clickety-clack of the keys seemed to echo in the black emptiness. Only the man's striking, amber eyes seemed to glow out from the shadow on his sneering face and as they glared at the words that had been written he began to smile menacingly as he considered the implications they would have.

_"I am writing to inform the management of an incident I witnessed late on Saturday afternoon involving our new conductor, Aster Bunnymund, and one of our regular players, Jack Frost."_

Pitch's smile slithered his lips apart as he finished his damning email and revelled in knowing how much fear this would strike into that cocksure little smartass, Jack. He wasn't entirely sure why he loathed him so much, he only knew he did and it pleased him to know that he'd be making the boy fear for his job. Then, perhaps, he might be able to bend the little bastard to his will. After all, it seemed as if it were high time he seriously started to fear him and do as he was told and Pitch adored the idea of making Jack one of his minions he could control at his will. Terror had been an extremely useful tool to him in the past and he felt practically giddy as he thought about how marvellous it would be to have Jack submit to his wishes. Anything to crush that free, youthful confidence he seemed so proud of. After all, how dare Jack think he could get away with feeling as if he deserved to feel good about himself as a player, and even further, as a person? If he crushed his spirit in the process then, well, that wasn't such a problem. In fact it would be a bonus. All that mattered though was that he made Jack surrender to his will, and when that happened, oh, wouldn't it be just so marvellous.

**Dun…dun…dunnnnnnnnnnnn!**

**OMG! Pitch is about to start being a serious dickhole! And only just as Jack and Bunny are getting together. Do I see Bunny riding in on a white horse to defend Jack? Do I see Jack crumbling and turning to Bunny for comfort? Do I even see a little BlackIce coming around the corner? We'll just have to wait and see…**

**Thank you all again so much for reviewing and following. I cannot believe what an impact this story is having and I thank you all so much for your patronage!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey everyone. Just to put any fears to rest, don't freak out about any blackice hinting. Everything will be okay, I promise. I won't ruin the story. The hinting was merely a curveball so just wait and see what happens, okay?**

**Also, I'm probably fictionalizing a few things in Pittsburgh again but is not entirely helpful in helping with my research. So, where you see inaccuracies, just pretend it's right. Plus, just in case you don't know, Skittle shots are where you soak Skittles in vodka so the flavour and colour comes out. Then you shoot it. Google it, you'll see what I mean.**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 12**

The next morning, Jack waited with an absent look on his face for Tooth's arrival. He expected her to be riding him as soon as look at him but, when she did finally enter the auditorium – which they had use of for rehearsal that day – she simply trotted through the rows of seats and placed her things down before casually and quietly putting together her violin.

Jack watched her from his seat in the stalls a few rows back and slid down where he sat to observe her silently. He had seen her look at him briefly as she had entered but after that she just carried on with her business as if she hadn't seen him and Jack wondered as he saw her wander off towards the stage what kind of game she was playing. This was very unlike her since she usually drowned him in attention when she desperately wanted something from him and it unnerved Jack as to exactly what she was doing. More to the point, as he watched her sit down and looked at her face, he began to feel guilty and started to desperately want to tell her. It was weird but watching her wait patiently whilst knowing she desperately wanted to know what he had been up to made him feel really bad about keeping it from her. He found he felt the growing desire to run over there and spill not only the whole story but endless apologies for lying. However, just as he was about to scream out her name and beg for forgiveness, he paused and slouched back down in his seat with a wry, surprised smile.

_"Well played, Toothiana…" _he thought as he began to shake his head slowly. It wasn't like her to be so devious, but he had come to know she was an expert at playing his guilt against him. She had used it endless times in college not only to squeeze information out of him but also to get him to do things with her when he was being lazy. It was an amazing tool she had at her disposal but it wasn't going to work this time. No, her days of guilting him into spilling his guts were over and so, jumping up, he quickly darted up to the stage to rub it in her face.

"You must think you've got it all figured out" he boasted as he hopped onto the chair in front of her and looked down from a height.

"I have no idea what you're talking about" she said with a face as plain as paper.

"You know I can't resist your fake hurt, let-down face. Well not today, baby!"

"Hey, if you don't wanna tell me, your friend of so many years and who has helped you through such trouble and given you so much without receiving anything in return, what you've been doing then I won't force you. I'll just sit here alone, hoping someone might spare a single shred of sympathy for my feelings"

"Ah na nah! Don't start that! And hey! What trouble? And what do you mean nothing in return?"

The brightly clothed girl flicked her eyes up to his for a second and noticed he had his smartass look about him. She couldn't deny it, he'd won this round and there was really no use in dragging this failed guilt trip out any longer. Breaking it in an instant, she quickly jumped up to his level and clung onto his hoodie as she beamed into his face.

"Oh, come on, Jack! What's the big secret?! Tell meeeeeeeee!"

Jack laughed as she shook him lightly and then stepped down to the floor.

"I can't tell you yet"

"Why not?!"

"Because I…have to figure it out"

"Jack! This is so not fair! I tell you everything!"

"And I will tell you this! Just not yet. I can't do it here in case somebody overhears"

"Just whisper it!"

"No, you'll go crazy"

"I won't! I swear!"

"No, look. I'll tell you tonight after work"

"But you can't! We're going out!"

"Are we?" Jack asked as he went to take his seat.

"Yeah! Since you hardly spoke to me these last two days I talked to some other people and we're going out to a club"

"Which club?"

"I don't know. Something with glowsticks"

"Glowsticks?"

"I can't remember who suggested it but yeah. It's been forever since we went someplace like that."

"Sounds cool. Are we going anywhere first?"

"A bar probably or somewhere we can all meet up. And hey! Don't change the subject!"

"What? I'm trying to figure out where I have to be and when."

"Just come to mine and we'll go when I know where"

"Okay, sure"

"Okay. So, you gonna tell me now?"

"I said later"

"I said now!"

"No! You'll enjoy it more later!"

"I doubt it"

"Trust me, you'll rocket to the moon"

"OOOH! Jack! Come oooon!"

Jack just laughed as she became more flustered with excitement and then turned away just in time to see Bunny walking from the wings onto the stage. Their eyes met as he walked past the cellos and the two smiled gently at one another as he approached. As he arrived at his stand, he placed his scores down and spoke to Jack as he moved them about.

"Morning, Jacky" he said with a smile.

"Morning. Good night?"

"Not as good as the one before it"

"I know, right?" Jack whispered and then silently giggled with Bunny. "Listen. We gotta keep it on the down low today" he said as he tilted his head in Tooth's direction. Bunny flicked his eyes over to her.

"Oh. You haven't told her yet?"

"Shh! No. And she's gonna be trying to figure it out until I do, so just…you know…we can't look like…like…"

"We rocked the casbah all weekend?"

"Shhhh shut up!" Jack hissed through a smile. "I'm telling her tonight"

"Oh yeah, some club, right?"

"What? You're coming?"

"Yeah. Is that alright?"

"Yeah. I mean, when did you find out?"

"Tooth asked me last night. I figured you already knew"

"I didn't find out 'til this morning"

"Huh. Well, maybe she likes me more now"

"Are you kidding? She liked you more the first time you walked in. She'll come back to me though. You're like a new puppy and I'm the old dog"

"Haha. Well, don't worry. Your secret's safe with me"

"Our secret"

"Who stands to lose more if it gets out?"

"Well, when you put it like that…"

The two ended their interaction with a knowing smile and then the day began as usual. It was harder to play than usual due to the poorer acoustics of the auditorium but it simply forced them to concentrate a little harder and Jack was pleased for the distraction. The orchestral drag had certainly seemed to take its toll on Bunny after half an hour's rehearsal time and when Jack looked up at him he noticed he was already looking overworked. It amused him though to see Bunny so hot and bothered and he'd have to make sure to tease him about it later. The prospect of teasing him felt different now than it had before the weekend but it wasn't strange. The manner of it hadn't changed but the impact certainly felt different and as Jack thought about what he might say to get a rise out of the man standing in front of him, he noticed too that teasing Bunny just seemed somewhat more friendly. Maybe it was because they were more intimate now and the malicious nature of their words – even though expressed in friendly, sarcastic tones – had just that much less intensity than they had before. Jack supposed it was a good thing even if he would have to work harder to get the same rise he regularly desired from his new playmate. The intimacy, however, was another issue entirely. Jack wasn't sure if he considered them specifically 'intimate' now despite their extremely intimate recent activities. In reality they still didn't know each other that well and they most certainly hadn't had any nights cuddled up on the couch watching movies, as an example. It would take time for them to be considered intimate and there was no guarantee it would happen. Still, as Jack let his mind wander he absently smiled as he played and imagined himself snuggled under a blanket in Bunny's warm embrace. He imagined it would be a really great feeling just to cuddle up to him and, even further than that, he liked the idea of having someone to confide in, to have fun with and to devote himself to.

_"Steady, Jack" _he thought as he examined his thoughts. _"You're not his boyfriend yet"_

Lunch was an ordeal. Trying to distract Tooth from her burning question was near enough impossible and it didn't help when Bunny came to join them. Tooth decided to involve him in trying to drag her answer out of her friend and Jack squirmed as Bunny started to have some fun at his expense. He too started to ask Jack what his secret was all the while wearing his trademark smirk and Jack had to force himself not to glare as Bunny silently taunted him. He'd make him pay for it somehow, even though it really was rather funny. He couldn't laugh along with him though, Tooth was too clever not to figure that out.

Eventually, a few of the people Tooth had invited out that night came to join them and the conversation drifted away. Jack did his best to involve himself in it but he kept getting distracted by Bunny's glances. Even a few fiery text messages didn't stop him from risking their exposure and Jack strewed in his own irritation as Bunny constantly held the upper hand.

When the day finally came to its end, everyone was extremely pleased to be going home. Jack yawned as he lazily made his way down the steps into the stalls and wandered sleepily towards his case. As he began to put his violin away, his eye was caught by a neatly folded piece of paper sticking out of the little compartment where he kept his rosin and chinrest. Picking it out and opening it up, he stared down at some incredibly ornate handwriting and frowned when he read the words 'My office. Tomorrow morning, 8:30AM. Pitch Black'. With a groan he looked up just in time to see the very man who'd written the note glare at him with that evil, ominous smile and disappear into the shadow cast by the mezzanine. Jack could have sworn he felt a chill race up his spine as the words sank in and as he closed his eyes and groaned again, he already regretted whatever it was Pitch was trying to pull this time.

Oh well, that was a problem for tomorrow. Now, he had to find some energy to go out later and he figured it would be much easier to do that with Tooth yammering in his ear – even if she wasn't going to stop bugging him. After all, it was after work now and he had promised to tell her once they'd gotten there. He still didn't know how though and really hoped she might have forgotten – a stupid hope really.

"So, it's time!" she chimed gleefully as they sat down on the bus. She was practically giddy with excitement as Jack sat there with his eyes closed and a cheeky smile on his face. How was he going to diffuse this one?

"You're right" he said and then left Tooth hanging for a long moment.

"And…?!" she squeaked impatiently.

"Now's the time I said I would tell you"

"Well…GO ON!"

"Except…"

"Except nothing, you bitch!" she shot as she whacked him playfully in the shoulder.

"Well, I mean…wouldn't it be more fun for you to guess?"

"No. Come on, Jack! You promised!"

"Yeah, but…I dunno…"

"Pleeeease!" she whined

"Okay, okay, look. I'm pretty sure you'll be able to figure it out tonight if you watch closely"

"What? What do you mean?"

"What I mean is…I probably won't be able to keep it hidden"

"Keep what hidden?...You mean something you'll do? Or have? Oh my gosh! Do you like someone? Are you in with someone? Is it Bunny?!"

"Hey, I'm not saying anything"

"Oh my gosh! It is Bunny! Oh, Jack, I'm so proud of you!" she sang jubilantly as she threw herself at him and making the other people on the bus look at them strangely. "How long? Was it this weekend? Was that what you were doing? Were you with him? You tramp! How could you not tell me?!"

"Hey" Jack said with a chuckle, "I didn't say I was with Bunny"

"So, what, you were with somebody else?"

"I didn't say anything"

"You were with Bunny! I knew it! You little rat!"

"Well…you know" Jack said as his smile couldn't help but grow wider.

"Oh my goodness! This is so perfect! So are you two going out now?"

"Well…I don't know" Jack giggled, "It all happened so fast. I think maybe we're going out soon"

"Oh my gosh!" she nearly screamed, "This is just so cute! And he's so hot!"

"Yeah, he kinda is"

"So, how did it all happen? Did he ask you out?"

"Not exactly…" Jack began before taking on a hushed tone and quietly relating the story of what had happened. She laughed at his mishap when trying to text her and then became gobsmacked when he told her how Bunny had grabbed him whilst he was playing. She couldn't believe it as he told her - in much less explicit words than the story really called for - how Bunny had screwed him in the practice room and then fell down in her seat as he told her they'd spent the rest of Sunday together.

"Holy freaking cow, Jack!" she said as her joy finally got the better of her and she flopped like an over-excited puppy. "This is just…just so great". Jack smiled at her as she beamed back at him and it only took a second more for her to throw her arms around him and hug him tightly. "I'm so happy for you. This is just so awesome"

"Well, don't get too excited. Nothing's really happened yet"

"You call twenty-four hours of crazy Australian sex nothing?"

"Australian? What?" Jack laughed

"I don't know. Sex with an Australian? That must have been fun"

"They don't do it any differently"

"Really? Oh, how disappointing…"

"It wasn't, I promise"

"You total whore!"

"Shut up! It felt right at the time"

"I bet it did. It's nice you finally got some"

"Hey! It hasn't been that long"

"It must be, like, six months now?"

"…Yeah, more or less"

"There we go then. So, you gonna show you two off to everyone tonight?"

"No, I don't think so. We probably shouldn't go public until…well, there's something to actually go public about"

"True. Oh, but Jacky! This is so great!"

"Yeah, it's pretty awesome" Jack said as he leaned into her friendlily. The two giggled together until they got to their stop and then parted ways so Jack could grab some stuff from his place. After dumping his things and grabbing some clothes, he walked to Tooth's and ran right up as soon as she buzzed him in. Rather expectedly, she threw herself at him again as soon as she opened the door and Jack just rolled his eyes and smiled as he let her express her joy again.

By now it was about 6PM and while Tooth went off to shower first, Jack set about throwing together some food for them. He wasn't particularly inventive in the kitchen and in the end it ended up being Kraft Mac and cheese.

"What is this?" Tooth asked when she came out in a towel.

"Mac and cheese"

"I've got plenty of fresh stuff in the fridge. You couldn't heat up some of that?"

"Hey, this is perfect for a night's worth of drinking"

"Okay, fine. But let's at least have some cruditées with it"

"Crudi-what?"

"Sliced carrots and celery and stuff. You know, healthy food?"

"Oh. Well, if you really want."

"Don't you ever eat healthy stuff?"

"Yeah. I eat plenty of vegetables"

"Tomato sauce on pizza does not count as a vegetable"

"Hey! I eat my broccoli! How else do I get dessert?"

Tooth smiled and went over to the fridge to grab a Tupperware box filled with already prepared carrots and celery. Together they sat down and dived straight in whilst Tooth probed Jack for more about his weekend with Bunny.

"Oh, and by the way, he's coming here in…about an hour"

"What? Why?"

"We can't just ask him to meet us somewhere. That's totally rude!"

"It's not that rude"

"Come on, he's a guest, and your new boyfriend!"

"We are not going out yet."

"Yet"

"Exactly. We're just seeing where things go"

"For now…"

"Yes, for now." Jack said as he got up and went to get ready. Tonight he would be wearing some extremely tight black leather pants which would surely take him about a half hour to get on and would also need help from Tooth to pull up. Still, he figured they made his legs and butt look great and if he was going out with Bunny he'd surely want to give him a show. After all, he was a skinny guy and needed to show off what little curvature he possessed. After throwing on nothing but a thin, white t-shirt with some splattered design on the front that Tooth warned him against not wearing Jacket over, Jack re-messed his hair in the mirror and considered himself ready.

Before long, the doorbell rang and Bunny was up with them in a moment. He and Jack exchanged gentle, shy hellos before Tooth pushed past her friend and jumped on Bunny gleefully.

"You told her, then?" Bunny asked as he held up the even more colourfully clad girl clinging to him.

"Yep. She's pretty excited about it"

"What did he tell you?" he asked as he turned his head back to Tooth.

"He said you two are a thing"

"I did not say we were a thing!" Jack shot. "I said we were testing the waters"

"Oh, whatever! The point is you two did it and that's faaaabulous!"

The three of them laughed together as Tooth climbed down and before long they were sitting around her kitchen table talking, laughing and shooting tequila.

"Ugh, that's nasty!" Jack said as he wiped the remaining salt from his lips.

"Come on, ya nancy!" Bunny said as he shoved him, "Can't handle your booze?"

"I'll fucking show you!" Jack called before throwing back another. Again he pulled a hilarious face and the three of them kept on like that until it was time to go.

After a little more drinking and a cab ride, they found themselves at a bar on the Southside and Bunny set about becoming friendlier with the players he had been lording over for the past few weeks. It was nice to see him getting along so well but really there was no question as to why. He was an instantly likeable kind of guy and it wasn't long before he was like one of the gang.

So, after many, many cocktails, the already slightly inebriated mass of players began to make their way outside and down the street to the club. On the way, Tooth began to pull out more and more glow sticks from her purse and it wasn't long before the three of them looked like they had just fallen off of a mardi gras float. As they waited in line, Jack laughed at Bunny as he saw him shivering under his jacket and mocked him for not being able to handle the cold. Bunny couldn't believe the cocky boy was so comfortable in nothing but a t-shirt and mocked him back for it. They were having fun and the night really was taking shape as a good one.

Things were completely different inside the hot, hazy atmosphere of the club and as the group moved in and merged into the busy, animated crowd they quickly broke off into smaller factions in the blinding mess of dry ice and colourful flashes of shaking glow sticks. The thumping, electronic music was deafening as they fell deeper and deeper into the fray and as the alcohol in Jack's blood continued to marinate his brain he quickly felt himself having more and more of a good time. His inhibitions surrounding being affectionate with Bunny were fading and it wouldn't be long before they really became silent. It was so fun just to be out with his friends and Bunny though and he couldn't believe how smoothly everything was going. No one had suspected their leaning towards each other in the bar and Tooth really had been good at keeping her excitement under control. It wasn't clear how things were going go now though and as Jack, Bunny and Tooth danced together, Jack quickly became a lot more handsy with the taller man.

After a little while, the three fell out of the crowd and onto the bar where Jack ordered Skittle shots. It was pretty juvenile but he loved them and it wasn't long before the rainbow on the bar disappeared inside the three of them. Jack immediately ordered some more and Bunny winced as two of the extremely sickly fluids trickled down his throat. He managed to stop Jack before he ordered more and then simply ordered some more cocktails which he hoped might last a little longer. Tooth snaked her arm around his neck and nuzzled him affectionately as Jack giggled up at them from his barstool and it wasn't long before they found a booth to collapse into.

"Oh my gosh! I've gotta slow down" said Tooth as she pulled off one of her heels and rubbed her foot.

"I told you not to wear those" Jack said as he leaned on her, "But did you listen? Noooo"

"Leave the lady alone, Jacky" Bunny said as he sipped his drink. "Strewth! I shoulda got a beer"

"Could you be more stereotypical?" Jack taunted

"Says the big kid that wanted more skittles"

"Hey! Those are awesome"

"I think my teeth are about to fall out, they were so sweet!"

"Just drink your eight dollar pink lady, you lady!"

"Is that what this is called? I thought it was pretty froofy"

"You're right. This is no drink for we men folk!" he said as he flexed his arms, "We should get a fishbowl"

"Oh, no, Jack! No!" Tooth cried as she steadied herself against the table, "I can't handle that"

"Sure you can!" he hollered before jumping back up and running to the bar.

Bunny just laughed as he watched him go and then turned to Tooth.

"He really is just a big kid, isn't he?"

"Yeah, pretty much. You think you can handle him?"

"I think so. He's adorable"

"That why you like him?"

"Partly. More because he's fun. And because he's hot"

"Really?" Tooth said giving him a funny look. "I never really got that"

"You joking? Like, when he's mad and pouty or feeling naughty, you don't think he's got a little smoulder?"

"Smoulder?" Tooth cried before bursting out laughing. Bunny just laughed along with her.

"Maybe I'm a little drunk"

"You must be if you think Jack has swagger"

"I said smoulder"

"Maybe I'm a little drunk too. Whatever, sweetie. I love that you and Jack are a thing now"

"We're not a thing yet"

"You both keep saying that but you totally are"

"We've just gotta wait and see. I don't wanna rush it"

Tooth gave him a warm smile. "You really like him, huh?"

"Yeah, I do. We just get along so well and I don't know if it can work but I wanna try. He just seems so…great"

"He is. He's an idiot sometimes but he is great. And you're great"

"Aw, Tooth. You hardly know me"

"I can tell. You're a nice guy"

"And you're a nice girl"

"Aww! Wanna be my BFF?"

"Okay. But won't Jack get mad?"

"Probably. It'll just force him to work harder"

"Haha. Okay"

"Got it!" Jack shouted as he suddenly appeared and placed the big, alcoholic orb down on the table. "Everybody grab a straw". He sat down next to Bunny this time and shuffled in close until they were pressed up together. "What shall we drink to?"

"To Bunny!" Tooth cried

"No, to you two!" Bunny said in return.

"To all of us!" Jack said. "Down in one. Ready?"

"To all of us!" they shouted before diving in to drink. It took a long time and a lot of giggling but eventually they managed to suck down the whole thing – most of it going into Jack. Bunny sat back and groaned as he felt his stomach swell and then coughed when he felt the boy to his right flop on top of him.

"You drink like this a lot?" he moaned.

"Not often. We figured you'd need a proper night out seeing as it's your first time. That, and you're Australian"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Aren't you drunk all the time?"

Bunny chuckled, "That's racist"

"It's not racist. We're both white"

"Well, you're American. Are you constantly stuffing cheeseburgers down your throat and popping boner pills?"

"I think you know I don't need boner pills" he said and then turned to Tooth as she spluttered into her drink. It made him laugh.

"Well, I gotta tell ya" Bunny said, "if this is a regular thing I may need to start alcohol therapy right away"

"Haha. Don't worry about that"

"Are you having a good time?" asked Tooth expectantly.

"Yeah, no worries about that. This place is mad"

"Yeah, it's pretty wild on the right night"

At that moment a couple of trim young guys dressed in tight clothes and one with a red streak through his obviously expensive haircut wandered up to their table and smiled enticingly down at Bunny.

"Hey, you guys. We saw you sitting here and wondered if you wanna come dance with us?"

"Isn't the line usually 'Can I buy you a drink?'" Jack said cheekily and receiving a quick, slightly mean-spiritied glare in return. These two were obviously here for Bunny alone.

"Come on, Jacky. When a gentleman asks you to dance it's polite to accept"

"And what about when there are two?"

"Then it's doubly polite" he said as he pushed Jack off the seat and then scooted out with him. "Tooth, you coming?"

"Leave me here. I can't stand in these things anymore"

"You sure?"

"I'll be fine. You boys go"

"Alright" Bunny said as he grabbed a now slightly reluctant Jack and headed off with the guys who had come over to them.

As they mixed into the crowd, it quickly became apparent to Jack that he was a fifth wheel in the lecherous guys' plan to take Bunny as their own and he had to fight to keep his position amongst their little group. The fact that the dance floor was so busy as well made it all the harder for him to keep close to Bunny and Jack felt himself getting extremely annoyed as the guys kept rubbing up against Bunny and copping many a feel.

After a few minutes more, Jack suddenly felt himself get pushed back by some other group and before he knew it he was separated from Bunny and his parasites. Now alone, he looked through the sea of bobbing heads and gyrating bodies and saw no feasible route back to where he had been. His fuzzy head made him all the more frustrated and as a sense of rejection suddenly filled him he huffed angrily and stomped out of the crowd towards where he had been sitting. Who the hell did they think they were, stealing Bunny from him? Clearly they had seen he and Bunny rubbing up together in the booth so surely they might have figured they were at least slightly involved. How did they think they could take Bunny away from him just like that?

As he stalked back to the table, Tooth saw him coming and noticed how cut up he looked. It was a saddening cross between anger and deflation and the exasperated effect of the alcohol was surely making him feel worse. In a second he was sitting down and sulking.

"What happened?" Tooth asked worriedly.

"The bigger boys stole my Bunny!" Jack whined as he pulled his knees up to his chin.

"They what? How?"

"They danced him away and then cut me off. I mean, how lame is that?"

"That is so rude!" Tooth squealed, "Didn't they see you two?"

"They must have but I guess that didn't matter to them"

"Where are they now?"

"Over there" Jack said pointing to where he could see Bunny obviously looking around for Jack whilst still trying to be courteous to the men who were now rubbing inside his shirt. "Oh my God, can you believe that?!"

"Oh my God! That is so crappy!"

"I know!"

"Jack, get back out there!"

"What?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Get back out there and go get your man!"

Jack sat stunned for a second before burying his face, "I can't. Did you see those guys? They were so much hotter than me!"

"So? Jack Frost, they stole your boyfriend. Here's yours, so you go get him back now! And for what it's worth, Bunny thinks you're way hotter"

"He's not my-". He stopped as Tooth cut him off. The look on her face was damning and as he turned away and looked over to Bunny whose shirt was now completely unbuttoned and was looking increasingly worried, he stiffened his jaw, narrowed his eyes and stood up abruptly looking as if he were about to run into battle.

"God speed, Sir Jack!" Tooth called as Jack stomped back off towards the crowd. He was focused on one thing and one thing alone and his determined stride caught the attention of more than a few people as he went. Pushing angrily through the dancers, he marched through the middle of the group that had been in his way and then glared at the sight in front of him. Without waiting, he stuck his hands between where the men rubbed up at either side of Bunny, ripped them away from him and then threw himself at the man who, up until Jack stuck his tongue in his mouth, had been very relieved to see him. Jack didn't even look back to the defeated enemy as he began to push Bunny backwards and pretty soon they backed straight into the wall. There, Jack ran his hands all over Bunny's hot, sweaty abs and pecs and then snaked them around his body to grasp his back as he assaulted his mouth. He didn't know what was making him do it but the more he kissed him, the more he lost control.

Bunny was absolutely shocked as Jack took control of his body and did his best to keep up with the smaller guy's endless, fervid affection whilst trying to restrain the growth in his pants. Jack's drunken state stopped him from caring who saw them anymore and so, feeling overly confident, quickly stuffed a hand into Bunny's underwear. In a second, Bunny jumped back making Jack stare up and wonder what the problem was.

"Are you crazy?" he said with an astounded smile, "We can't do that here or they'll throw us out"

"I don't care" he said as he went up for another kiss but was stopped by Bunny who pushed him off and started to button up his shirt again.

"Don't worry, Jacky" he shouted through the music, "I wasn't gonna give them anything. It's all you, baby"

"Really?" Jack shouted and trying to sound hopeful.

"Really" Bunny said as he finished off and pulled Jack close to him again before kissing him fiercely. Jack was delighted. Bunny was all his and he couldn't believe how great that felt. This hot, sexy Australian was totally into him and just to know that was the greatest prize he could think of.

The rest of the night slowly started to turn into a blur as they danced together and then received Tooth's drunken affection after having witnessed Jack's heroic rescue. The three of them continued to dance the night away as they drank more and more and it wasn't long before Jack was only aware that he was leaning up against Bunny's chest, trying to keep his balance and smiling at the warmth of his body heat up against his face as they danced together. He was so happy. He was very, very drunk, but he was happy.

_The next morning…_

Jack cracked his eyes gently open and then shut them tight again as the glare of the morning light assaulted his retinas. Letting out a feeble moan as the dizziness in his booze-soaked head restricted his capacity for thought, he attempted to identify his surroundings without moving.

After a moment or two, he managed to identify a warm mass resting against his chest as he draped an arm over it. He assumed it must have been Bunny and sighed contentedly as he leaned his head forward and attempted to nuzzle him. Bunny smelled kind of sweet and his hair was much more voluminous than he remembered. It also seemed rather strange that one of his arms was snaking around his stomach from behind as well.

None of this made sense and so, attempting a second start, he opened his eyes and was suddenly confronted with a dazzling splash of colour in the hair he was nuzzling. It was so startling he jumped back and then gawped as he saw it was Tooth lying in his arms. A moment or two later he turned his hazy head around as far as it would go and again gawped as he noticed Bunny holding him from behind. It was the most confusing thing he'd ever encountered, or at least it seemed it was until clarity came a few seconds later. The real situation was that he was spooning Tooth and Bunny was spooning him and they were all lined up in a neat little array on what was clearly Tooth's bed now that he looked at it.

Jack barely had time to come to terms with any of this before Tooth's alarm began to screech and all of a sudden he felt his ears ringing with the cacophony that surrounded him.

Lazily, Tooth stirred and then delicately reached across to the squealing clock to tap it off. The rumbling and bumping coming from next to her as Jack buried himself deep within the blankets helped her to wake up and as she yawned and gently touched her throbbing forehead, she sat up and sleepily looked to the men laying next to her.

"Oh yeah…" she said croakily before burying her face in her hand and rubbing it gently. As she did so a low groan came from Bunny as he woke and sat up in the bed before cracking his neck gently.

"Ugh…I do not feel fresh today" he moaned groggily.

Tooth just moaned her agreement and then lifted her head to look at him. "You wanna shower?"

"I should go home and get ready. What time is it?"

"Uh…7AM"

"Mmm. Okay…Okay" he said as he tipped his legs out of the bed and got up. Tooth watched him as he went and then perked up as she saw his tall, muscular form rise from her bed in nothing but his boxers. It really was quite a sight to behold. Jack was a lucky son of a bitch to be getting to play with that. Speaking of which, where was he?

Suddenly she felt a twitch in the blankets next to her and pulled them back to expose a very hung-over Jack Frost. She smiled a motherly smile down at him and then gave him a gentle shake where he lay.

"Jack. Come on, Jack. It's time to get up"

"No, it's not" he managed to croak back as attempted to pull the covers over his head again.

"Come on. You've gotta get ready"

"You've gotta get ready. I'm sick"

"You're not sick"

"I am. I feel like death. Call work for me"

"Tell the boss yourself"

Bunny looked up as he was pulling his pants on, "It's one thing calling your boss pretending to be sick. It's another to wake up next to him and try it"

"I am sick. I need a doctor"

"You do not need a doctor" Tooth said as she shoved him for his melodrama. "Come on. Go get in the shower"

"Ugh. No thanks"

"You can't go to work without showering. Now move it"

"You go, I'll catch up"

"Fine" she said, "You're up next. I expect you to be waiting"

Pushing herself out of the bed, she tottered off towards her bathroom and closed the door behind her leaving Jack and Bunny alone in the room. Seizing the opportunity, Bunny looked at Jack's motionless form and smiled as he began to move towards him. Kneeling on the bed, he leaned down to Jack's level and began to bury his face into his.

"Morning, Jacky" he said sweetly, "You have fun last night?"

"I don't remember" Jack moaned

"You certainly looked like you did"

"Are my pants still on?"

Bunny pulled away more of the covers and saw that yes, indeed, his pants were still on.

"Yeah. I seem to remember you couldn't get them off"

"Damn leather"

"I can't imagine you'll have any more luck after sleeping in them. Want me to help?"

"No. Where's my shirt?"

"I think it's in the living room. You took it off when you were on the coffee table singing along to American Woman"

"Oh God…" groaned Jack as he imagined himself doing that.

"Yeah…you wanted to do some karaoke"

"What time was that?"

"About 2AM"

Jack just huffed into the sheets and remained still until Bunny spoke again.

"You got clothes for the day?"

"Mmm…"

You want me to help you into them?"

"Nooo..."

"You want me to get you anything?"

"Nooo…"

"You want a little snuggle?" he said as he rubbed his face against Jack's again and pecked him with little kisses. Jack just groaned in response but couldn't fight a smile that appeared as Bunny invaded his personal space.

"I want a new body" he groaned.

"A little antacid and some painkiller and you'll be fine"

"Wanna bet?"

"I wanna kiss" he said as he resumed pecking at Jack's cheek again.

"Aah! Get off!" Jack moaned before trying to sit up. His head was barely three inches off the pillow before a raging boom set into his skull and he collapsed back down in a pathetic pile of self-pity. "Oh Christ! My head!"

Bunny sighed and reached out for him, "Come on, Jacky" he said as he scooped Jack up and placed him on his feet on the floor. He was a little unsteady but he managed to keep his balance as he tried to still his spinning mind. It was only once he managed to do so when he felt the griping sickness in his stomach and moaned even more as he realized his fate.

"Aww, Jacky. It'll be okay" Bunny said as he finished dressing himself in his clothes from last night. "Look, I gotta go now but I'll see you in a bit. I had a really fun time last night"

"You did?" Jack asked with one eye closed as he ran his fingers into his hair.

"Yeah. And, uh…thanks for rescuing me from hose guys"

"What guys?"

Bunny just chuckled. "I'll tell you later. Right now, get ready and I'll see you at work"

"Okay" Jack said meekly before leaning into Bunny and tilting his head up to receive a final kiss. Bunny smiled as he realized he would have to put the work in and happily leaned down to kiss the groggy boy.

With that, he called to Tooth in the bathroom to thank her and then left Jack alone to feel sorry for himself. As soon as he'd gone, Jack sat back down on the bed and rested his head in his hands. When Tooth came out he was still in that position and she found she had to drag him into the shower since he wasn't going to go under his own steam.

The shower only helped him a little bit and it wasn't long before he found himself sitting in fresh clothes at Tooth's table with his head in his hand and a glass of Alka-Seltzer sitting in front of him.

"Drink it" she told him as she poured herself some cereal. "You want some of this?"

"I can't eat. I never want to eat again"

"Please don't throw up in here"

"Don't say throw up"

"How can you be this bad? I'm not"

"I don't know"

"You're too thin. Gotta get some meat on your bones"

"Maybe we should go to McDonalds on the way in"

"Would it help?"

"Probably not. What time is it?"

"Uh…Eight?"

"Oh God, really?" he said as he sat up and looked at her.

"Yeah, why?"

"Pitch said he wants to see me at eight-thirty"

"Why?"

"Probably to make me feel worse than I already do"

"He didn't say anything?"

"No. He just left me a note telling me to come see him in his office"

"You want me to come?"

"You think he'll let you?"

"Okay. Well, don't listen to him. He's a prick"

"I know" Jack said as he leaned up and stretched out his shoulders. "Okay, let's do this"

"Lemme just finish this" she said as he took another spoonful. "You sure you don't want some?"

"Positive"

After a few minutes, the pair grabbed their things and headed out the door to Tooth's car. Normally she didn't drive in but today there were extenuating circumstances. As they drove, Jack did his best not to feel any sicker and fortunately they arrived without having to go back and change. It was already 8:30AM by the time they parked up and Jack knew Pitch would blast him for being late. He didn't care though. If he was going to be made to feel crappier then he was going to do it on his own terms.

"You're late" Pitch said expectedly as Jack finally arrived in his office at eight-forty.

"I know" he replied as he tried to hide his hangover.

"Do you really think you can just swan around here to your own schedule?"

"Only with you, Mr. Black"

Pitch just glared at him and then took on a rather more evil look as he pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Jack, how much do you value your place here in the orchestra?"

"This again, Pitch?" Jack said frustratedly. "Look, North said I can stay where I am so why are you still making a fuss?"

"Oh no, boy. This is something much different"

"Boy?"

"It's to do with your contempt for the rules"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the way you think you can get away with behaving any way you like. The way you disregard the rules because you don't think they apply to you"

"That's ridiculous!" Jack spat.

"Is it? Well, we'll see. Tell me, Jack. Do you value your job here?"

"Of course I do. You know I do"

"I thought perhaps you did, even though I didn't think you deserved it"

"I know"

"Well, now I know you don't"

Jack sighed angrily. He really didn't need this today. "And how, pray tell, do you know, oh glorious master?"

"Because you've finally gone so far past the line that you've threatened your position here"

"Pitch! Just cut the crap! What are you getting at?!"

Pitched stared him down with his menacing smirk, "I'm talking, Jack, of this" he said as he held out the paper he held which Jack snatched from him.

"What's this?"

"Read it"

Focusing his bleary eyes, Jack began to read the letter. Pitch kept his face as still as stone as he watched Jack's eyes widen and his expression switch to one of horror. After a moment he looked up and just stared at Pitch, now much less confident and feeling like a deer in the headlights.

"You saw us?" he said quietly

"Yes" Pitch sneered. "I did"

Jack just sat there silently as he looked back at the page and it wasn't long before he let his head fall down into his hand.

"I suppose you're wondering what I plan to do now" Pitch eventually said as he got up and began to pace around Jack. "Well, I haven't sent it yet"

Jack suppressed a groan. He could tell what Pitch was going to do. "You know, you won't get Bunny fired"

"I know" he said lightly, "You, however, are not Mt. Bunnymund"

"What do you want?"

"Want? Oh, Jack. There's nothing you have that I need…at least, not yet." The words slithered into Jack and made him feel incredibly uncomfortable. It was as if snakes had entered his body and were slithering around making him feel dirty and disgusting – at least, more so than he already did. "There is something I want you to do though"

"And what's that?"

"I want your obedience, Jack"

"My obedience?" Jack said turning his head to the tall, imposing man.

"Yes. I want to you to completely submit to me and do what I say, when I say it"

"Something tells me that's not simply to do with my playing"

"Quite right" Pitch said with a smile, "There are some things that go further than the job. I expect you, Jack, to do whatever it takes to keep your place here"

"And just what would that include?"

"Oh, don't you worry about that, Jack. You'll find out in time"

"Do you expect me just to agree to this?"

"Not straight away. Before tomorrow morning though"

"What? Well, it would be rather irresponsible of me to witness something like this and not report it in a timely manner, wouldn't you say?"

"So, what, I'm just meant to agree to do whatever you want me to?"

"Not meant to. But you should"

"This is blackmail!"

"Of course it's blackmail, you moron! You can't be stupid as well as cocky, can you?"

Jack stood up sharply, ready to punch Pitch and simply stood in front of him fuming.

"What are you going to do, Jack? Hit me? Go right ahead. You'll just be adding to the list"

He really did want to hit him. He wanted to plant his fist right in the middle of that big, pointy nose and be done with it. He couldn't though. Pitch had him in his clutches and he knew it and he just couldn't see a way out. That letter could get him fired regardless of when it was submitted and he really couldn't lose this job. He didn't just love it, he needed it and he had to do whatever he could to hold onto it.

In a fit of rage and hurt, he pushed past Pitch and stormed out of his office. Pitch simply leaned out of the door as he went and called after him. "I expect your answer before midday tomorrow, Jack. I'm sure you'll do what's right"

The words rang in Jack's ears as he stomped away and he just couldn't believe the trouble he was in. It not only angered him, he was scared and he really didn't know why this was happening to him. It just wasn't fair and he felt completely victimized.

As he went, the gravity of the situation began to descend on him and he started to feel sick. After a few moments more, his walk turned into a run and, changing direction, he darted towards the bathroom making it inside just in time to throw up in the sink. A hangover and heart-stopping terror were not a good mix and as he leaned over the sink and breathed slowly, he tilted his head up and looked at himself in the mirror.

_"You've really done it this time, Jack"_ he thought as he let his head flop down again. A moment later he gently turned on the faucet to wash away his mess and then slowly sank to the floor. This just awful.

He was fifteen minutes late for rehearsal that morning, although he really didn't care anymore.

**Poor widdle Jack, all scared for his job and throwing up in sinks. That's not a good place to be, I tell you h'what!**

**Thanks for all your reviews and follows! You guys are amazingly fun and I thank you for your patronage so much! You are all an amazing bunch!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey, everyone! Sorry I've been slow on the updates this week. I've been busy as a bee after six cans of diet coke. To put a little scope into that, I write this in part from Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Long story…**

**I probably should have condensed these chapters into parts, like 1a, 1b etc. At least then I wouldn't be up to Chapter 14 and only really halfway through. Sort of. Oh well.**

**Something I reblogged on Tumblr that IS JUST TOO ADORABLE NOT TO LOOK AT (make sure to put the dots where the spaces are): uprapide com/images/invite/original-9 jpg**

**And now, some fluffy jackrabbit…**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 14**

Tuesday had been hard to get through. His disgusting feeling as a result of the previous night had peaked roughly around 8:30AM but thankfully had seemed to start subsiding by the time rehearsal began. Being Australian, Bunny hadn't wanted to let on that he felt so gross as he figured he'd lose face if he did. Not that he wanted to reinforce the stereotype that all Australians could handle their alcohol or that they were all drunks, but he figured he should at least live a little up to the ideas they all must have had about him. In all, the day had seemed to start fairly well but it had quickly gone down hill.

For once it felt nice going into work and being greeted by more than a select few. His getting to know more of the orchestra at the bar the previous evening had been the opportunity he'd been hoping for and it really helped his slight hangover to dissipate by being said hello to. It wasn't just the official hello he'd gotten used to anymore, it was a friendly hello with genuineness to it that made him feel like part of the group. "_And it only took four weeks" _he thought as he rolled his eyes and figured he'd expected better of himself. Still, better late than never and as he casually chatted to his new friends, he forgot to spare a thought for the absence of the boy that usually sat to his left. That was until 9AM rolled around. Looking over, he puzzled when he saw that Jack wasn't there and felt bad for starting without him. Still, he couldn't wait for one player even if he was his concertmaster and so, with a shrug, he began the rehearsal.

They were about fifty bars into Uranus from The Planets when he finally saw the door edge open and his sweetheart amble in. He lost his focus for a second as he took in the sight of the bedraggled boy and had to turn away when a muted giggle from the orchestra dragged his eyes back towards them when he missed a cue. He smirked a little when he saw Jack eventually sit down and saw how rough he looked. That really must have been some hangover he had and although he felt sorry for him, it was pretty funny. Jack looked like he'd been through the wringer and he couldn't wait to taunt him for having to go through this punishment for abusing his liver so harshly.

That taunting though, it seemed, was not appropriate today. When a break came he attempted to start Jack off with a gentle ribbing, hoping to build to all out mockery after a quick warm up. Instead of bouncing everything he said back though, Jack just sat there and took it all in whilst barely moving a muscle in his ashen face which looked even more pale than usual – if that was at all possible. Bunny found it strange but not completely out of place and so he decided to give Jack a break as he sat there miserably. He didn't really know Jack's habits all that well yet so he brushed off the bad feeling he had about his worrying appearance and simply put it down to the way Jack processed stale alcohol in his blood. In any other situation he would have been sure that something else was wrong but he figured, hey ho, Jack was a funny little bugger. He himself behaved a little weird when he was feeling worse for wear so why couldn't Jack?

He decided to try to make him feel better over lunch but, alas, Jack seemed to be preoccupied even then – let alone looking exhausted. Even his offer to hang out after work was quietly declined and that was the point when he decided to ask someone if Jack was behaving normally.

Tooth wasn't much help. She too was pretty tired and he couldn't make much sense out of her confused ramblings. Perhaps tomorrow would provide him with better conversation and so he went home alone. When he arrived he couldn't help but feel a little lonely, although maybe he had been treated to too much social interaction lately. That, and sex. Maybe he'd gotten so much contact time – in every sense of the word – in one go that now he was in for a lull. Taking a second to consider it, he figured that was a pretty weird thought.

_The next morning…_

Jack sighed as he heard his alarm go off. He hadn't allowed himself to become upset when he'd gotten in the previous night. He couldn't afford to expend what little energy he had left on complaining about the situation when he had to figure out what he was going to do. That streamlined mentality yielded no results though and he had been too tired to stay up past ten o'clock to try to think some more. Now it was the next morning and he had only a few hours left before he had to tell Pitch what he'd decided.

Really there was no thinking to be done. He couldn't not agree to Pitch's outrageous deal since the consequences were beyond anything he could survive. Strangely, it wasn't the threats that got to him the most. It was the fear of what Pitch might have him do that really grated at his tortured mind and he really wished none of this had happened to him. What use was wishing though? This was just something he had to get past in anyway possible. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad, although knowing Pitch that was as silly hope to cling to.

"_No wishes. No hope" _he thought as he reached to turn off his alarm and sat up stiffly, "_Good morning world. Goodbye happiness"_

When he got to work, the only thing he could really say that was good about the morning was that he didn't feel like he was going to drop down dead at any moment – at least not due to a hangover.

When he walked onstage, this time before the rehearsal had started, he walked up to Bunny with a fairly blank expression on is face and did his best to feign blank emotions. Not happy, not sad. Just blank.

"Hey, Bunny" he said as he walked up behind his…well, whatever Bunny was to him at the moment.

"Mornin', Jacky" Bunny said as he turned and went to reach for him before stopping and then calmly putting his hands down again. "Sorry. I keep forgetting we're not officially a thing to everyone yet"

"Yeah, well…" Jack trailed off as he sat down. Bunny cocked his head slightly.

"Everything alright?" he asked as he went back to shuffling the bits and pieces on his stand.

"Yeah. Why not…"

"You seem frustrated and…still kinda tired and moody"

"I am. Didn't sleep that well"

"Still not feeling great?"

"Nowhere near great."

"Sorry to hear. Maybe you should have stayed home yesterday"

"Yeah…maybe…

"Aren't you gonna tell me off for not letting you?"

"No"

Bunny paused, "No? You don't mean 'oh, now you tell me?"

"Would it do any good?" Jack asked without looking up.

"I…guess not" Bunny said quietly whilst wondering what on earth he'd done to make Jack mad at him. It must have been something, why else would he be acting so grumpy? "Are you sure everything's okay?"

Jack sighed silently, "Yes"

"I hope…uh…I haven't done anything to annoy you"

"You haven't" Jack said as he suddenly started to realize Bunny's calmer, more tentative tone. He instantly felt bad for making him feel guilty for nothing and knew the man didn't deserve to bear his griping.

"Okay. Well, if there is something up…you know. Or, you know what? I promise I won't bother you today. How's that?"

"No, it's fine" Jack said as he looked up and produced an unconvincing smile as he tried disperse the situation. "I'm not mad at you for anything at all. I'm just feeling a little gross, is all"

"Nevertheless" Bunny began as he quickly looked around and then bent down to Jack's level "You look like you don't need me picking on you today"

Jack looked down and smiled. "Thanks" he said eventually and then felt Bunny's hand land on his knee. How could he be being so nice to him after he had been so dismissive? He couldn't be that in tune with him to know when he needed a break. There was no way he could be that wonderful. Stupid perfect Bunny!

A moment later, Bunny got up and called the rest of the players in to start the day and Jack did his best to play through the pieces and make his solos sound convincing. He was pretty distracted today though. After all, he had a looming deadline getting closer with every tick of the clock and as he kept glancing at the time he began to grow nervous as the hours counted down to his fate.

Before he knew it, it was 11:15AM and he was standing outside Pitch's office just staring at the door and trying to find the courage to go in. Eventually he was relieved of his effort as the door was opened from the other side and as Pitch stood there and stared him down, he felt that unmistakeable creepy feeling snake up his spine and seep into the most uncomfortable points on his body possible.

"Well, well" Pitch began with a sly smile, "And I thought you might not come". He stood aside and held out his hand to beckon Jack through the door. With a gulp, Jack stepped forward and felt his breathing pick up as he entered the lion's den. Or perhaps he should have called it the snake pit. Whatever its name, Jack didn't sit down as the dark spectre walked around him and sat down behind his desk. Seeing how distressed he looked with his arms crossed and his eyes down, Pitch revelled in the sight before him and then opened a draw to take out a white, rectangular envelope. "I'm sure you know what this is" he said eerily, "The question is, shall it end up in North's office, or shall it end up in the garbage for the time being?"

Jack just stood there and huffed as he felt Pitch's beastly words assault him. The sound delighted the greyish man and made him grin the sickly grin that, had Jack seen it, would have made him feel as if thousands of insects were crawling all over his skin as per usual with those smiles.

"Well, Jack, what will it be?" he said as he stood up again and began to walk towards the boy. Jack fought the flinches that emanated from within as Pitch took each step. He had to force himself to say something but he couldn't possibly agree to what Pitch was demanding, could he? Although really, how could he not?

"It's a simple decision, Jack. Do as I say, whenever I say it…" he said before taking a long pause which forced Jack to eventually flick his downturned eyes up to his. "…or risk your future. Does it not seem an easy decision to you?"

Jack was so conflicted. He knew what he had to do but he just couldn't see how to bring himself to doing it. As he stood there and looked back down again his brow wrinkled as his disgust and frustration turned to nervousness and dismay. Soon, as his lip began to quiver, Pitch moved in for the kill.

"Jack!"

"Alright!" Jack nearly shouted as he looked up to Pitch and breathed a heavy breath. Pitch slowly stood up tall and then smiled down at him hungrily.

"Alright…what?" he said taking care to enunciate very carefully.

"Alright…I'll do it" Jack repeated. After a second he spun on his heels, ripped the door open and charged down the hall to get away from the menacing man. He couldn't be sure but he almost thought he heard the sound of Pitch's laughing echo evilly down the hall towards him as he ran away and, after only a few seconds of fleeing, he dived into an empty practice room and slammed the door behind him. Walking into the middle of the room he began to pace back and forth frustatedly before stopping, kneeling down and grasping his head in his hands. How could this all be happening? How the hell?! It just wasn't fair and he didn't deserve it. He was a good guy. He'd made one little mistake that he hadn't even intended to let happen and now all of a sudden his career was on the line. It made no sense and was an unimaginable injustice, but there it was. It was happening and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Try as he might, he just couldn't see a way out now and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

He didn't cry. He wasn't going to give his despair the satisfaction. It seemed appropriate though, and had his rage not been so monumental as to crush his misery he probably would have.

In the hall, Tooth skittered along looking in windows and searching for her friend who had been missing from his usual haunts when he ran off without her. He hadn't been in any of the places she'd looked so far and it seemed strange that he'd be up here. However, short of going down to the pit* or into the rigging above the stage – which, to be fair, he had scampered off to in the past – there was nowhere else he could be. Just as she was about to give up, she suddenly spied him through the glass in the door and went to burst in on him. Before throwing the door open though, she stopped as she saw him kneeling whilst facing away from her and wondered why on earth he looked so dismayed. Gently cracking the door open, she delicately called "Jack?" before startling as he suddenly sprung up and turned to her. "Are you okay?" she asked as he stared at her in shock.

"Um…yeah" he said as he suddenly realized what he must have looked like and looked away as he tried to calm down. "I'm fine"

Tooth tilted her head and smiled thinly. He knew she could see he was lying and he really didn't want to have to put the energy into keeping it up today. As soon as she wandered over to him and placed a hand on his arm, he sighed and slowly began to tell her what had happened. As he related the story to her, her face went from motherly sympathy to unbridled stupefaction.

"He what?" she eventually managed to squeak out.

"I just have to do what he says"

"But…what does that mean?"

"I don't know. He wouldn't say. All I know is I gotta do what he says or he'll tell the bosses what I did."

"But it's blackmail!"

"His words exactly"

"I…I…This is…ugh!" she flapped. "You can't let him get away with this!"

"What am I supposed to do, Tooth? He's got me trapped."

"But it's not fair!"

"I know… but there's nothing I can say. I can't report him without telling them about me and Bunny and then…oh, I don't know…"

"Jack…" she said with a clear pang of pain in her voice which tugged on Jack's heartstrings. With a sigh he pulled her close and hugged her. He hadn't expected her to take it worse than him. The two stood there and chatted quietly in each others arms until it was time to go back to rehearsal. They came no closer to a resolution by the end of their break and it was silently agreed that Jack was stuck. At least he had Tooth to confide in and, of course, Bunny now. Then again, he probably couldn't tell him. Bunny seemed the type to get mad about this sort of thing and he didn't want him to cause a fuss. Besides, he figured Bunny didn't need to worry about something like this and if he could spare him any strife at all it would be the right thing to do. It was nice to think that Bunny might try to rescue him though. Not that he liked to feel like the damsel in distress, although on second thoughts, he kinda did. He'd save that thought for Tooth to cheer her up later.

_At the end of the day…_

"Jack! Wait up!"

Jack turned as he heard Bunny call to him as he was trying to leave. He started to feel nervous as he watched Bunny jog over and did his best to look calm.

"Where you going, mate? You barely said a thing to me all day. Or yesterday. Come on, Jacky, what's up?"

"Nothings up" Jack said as he managed to force a smile, "I promise"

Bunny smirked at him before looking around and then taking him by the hand into the bathroom. Once inside, he took Jack's bag and violin from him, placed them by the row of sinks, and turned back with a determined look on his face.

"Now, look. If there's one thing I've learned since I came here it's that you can't be kept on the ground for more than five minutes before rocketing off. These past two days you've been sitting on that chair and practically melting onto the floor. Now…" he paused as he stepped forward and pulled Jack into his arms, "…what's got you so unhappy?"

Jack sighed. He couldn't fold now after only a few hours into his mess. It seemed like the perfect moment to tell Bunny but he just couldn't. He had to cover this up if he was going to get through and no matter how much Pitch would screw him over, he had to keep it hidden for Bunny's sake. He had to put on a brave face now if he was going to keep him from becoming even more suspicious.

Looking up and smiling, he began his cover up.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm being such a whiny bitch. I'm just having a bad couple of days, what with my bad tummy"

"Your tummy, huh?" Bunny said as he marvelled at how cute a word that was for Jack to use.

"Yeah. But everything's okay. Really"

"You sure?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Positive."

"Okay good, 'cos there's something I've been wanting to ask you"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I was wondering, if you're free, if I may be so bold as to ask you out to dinner tomorrow night?"

"You mean, our first official date?" Jack asked expectantly as his day finally became a little brighter.

"Yeah. Sound good to you?"

"Definitely!" Jack said as he jumped up and planted his lips on Bunny's. When they parted they smiled at one another and then giggled shyly. At least some good came from this day. As he went home his mood remained quite nicely balanced as he was torn between the damning terror from Pitch and the outstanding joy from Bunny. Being just on the right side of happy made him feel pretty contented, all things considered, and he smiled gently until he arrived at his front door. So began his evening of intensive practice which he had decided he really needed if he was going to be prepared to take on any musical challenge Pitch might throw at him in the near future. If there was one thing he wasn't going to falter at it was his playing and he figured it would really stick in the man's craw if he could throw that in his face.

By the time he finally fell into bed, his fingers were sore and his mind was teetering on the edge of making him collapse into unconsciousness. He put it down to the sheer emotional drain the day had been and before he had time to worry, he was asleep. Strangely enough, he slept well that night and woke up feeling refreshed for the first time in what seemed like ages.

_The next evening…_

"I can't believe this is actually happening!" Tooth squealed as she watched Jack button up his shirt. "Where is he taking you?"

"I don't know" Jack said with a smile, "he just said to dress nice"

"What are you putting over that?"

"I don't know. A jacket, maybe?"

"Blazer?"

"Too formal"

"And too manly for you. Sweater?"

"Fancy sweater?"

"Yeah"

"Umm…" he began as he turned to go over to his closet and fish through what was in there. "…how about…this?" he said as he pulled out a blue cashmere number.

"Do you have anything other than blue?" Tooth asked with a cocked head.

Jack turned back to look briefly and then said, "Nope. So, this?"

"Why not?" she said as she got up and went over to him. "I'm sure he's not expecting you to be wearing too much. After all, he'll probably want to take it all off later on"

"Tooth!" Jack shot with a smile, "It's not like th-…okay, fair enough. But still…"

"Have you got condoms?"

"No"

"Why not?"

"We haven't been using them"

"Jack! Are you crazy?!"

"What?! We didn't the first time and so we kinda figured there was no point"

"Well, you should have done! What if you have Chlamydia now?"

"I do not have Chlamydia" he said as he turned away and went to fiddle with his hair.

"You don't know that! Someone as sexy as Bunny is bound to have something"

"Where is this all coming from? You didn't say a word when you first found out"

"That was before I knew you were going diving without a wetsuit"

"What?" Jack spluttered amusedly.

"I'm just saying, you should never not rubber up when you're with someone new"

"Well, it kinda fell by the wayside. Besides, he's clean"

"Says who?"

"Says him. And I trust him"

"You hardly know him"

"And that's why we're going out tonight"

"Doesn't cure you of your syphilis!"

"I do not have syphilis. I'm sure I would have noticed something"

"Can you identify syphilis, Jack?"

"…No. Oh, don't worry Tooth. I'm sure everything's fine"

"Everything is not fine. But for now, I'll let it go. I'll come visit you in the hospital when you're having your rotten weiner cut off"

"Eww! Tooth!"

His girlfriend just giggled as she came up behind him and began to straighten him out. They chatted idly for a little while longer and it was nice to share his excitement with somebody else. The day had been speckled with worrying about Pitch, interspersed with episodes of delight as Bunny had come to him to chat about tonight. Pretty soon, he had gracefully forgotten about his main dilemma and became solely focused on what was going to happen this evening. He'd forgotten how fun it was to be getting ready for a date and, even though he already knew Bunny pretty well, he still felt that strange kind of excited nervousness that fit the bill for any first date. He'd never really gotten the first date scenario down to any kind of mastery and he always felt like a social klutz when he was out with a guy for the first time. Being so long since his last first date though made him feel all the more nervous and he was conflicted as to whether or not knowing Bunny and having slept with him made things better or worse. Wasn't it kind of slutty to have done him before at least the third date? Was that going to be an issue? Was Bunny going to expect sex again? If he was then should he put out? It was all too worrying and Jack just tried to put it out of his mind for now. He didn't want to lose his buzz.

It all came flooding back when finally the doorbell rang and he panicked for a few seconds with Tooth before abruptly putting on a brave face and hurrying over to the callbox. With a jittery breath, he pressed the button.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jacky" he heard Bunny say on the other end. "Ready to go?"

"Sure. I'll be down in a minute."

Turning away and smiling widely at Tooth, he breathed heavily a few times before putting on his coat and attempting to reassure himself in a mirror by the door.

"Okay…okay…" he said to himself as he stared at his own deep, blue eyes, "…I can do this"

"Yes! You can!" Tooth cheered as she jumped on him. "Now go! Go and have fun!"

"Oh, God, can I?"

"Yes! Go!" she said as she ripped open the door and threw him out. Slamming it behind him, she jumped around and cheered quietly to herself as she let her excitement take a hold of her and then flittered over to the couch to flop down. This was so sweet she could hardly bear it. She was so pleased that Jack and Bunny were getting together and she hoped above all things that it would work out. More to the point, she wished she were going on the date with them. She would have gladly sat to the side with a bucket of popcorn watching it all unfold.

After a little while she calmed down and began to look around Jack's apartment. Noticing it was in its usual state of disarray, she couldn't help but get up and start tidying before she left. After all, she had to pass the time until she could blast him with questions somehow.

Meanwhile, Jack stopped just before the front door and took a deep breath. He really didn't know why he was so nervous. It wasn't as if this was his first time out and about with Bunny. Somehow he just couldn't pass off the jitters though and, without finding resolution, he reached for the door handle and pulled it open.

Jack marvelled as he saw Bunny turn to face him. He was wearing a gorgeous black blazer with a white shirt underneath that made his tan stand out like gold. Jack was barely able to catch his breath as he took in the sight of the astounding man before him and before he could process his mushy thoughts into words, Bunny spoke up.

"You look beautiful"

Jack suppressed a choke that tried to work its way up his throat and gracefully managed to produce something at least partly witty.

""You mean I don't usually?"

"Of course you do" Bunny said with the most charming smile imaginable, "but tonight you look especially good"

"You don't look bad yourself" Jack said as he tried to mirror his smile and then swooned a little when he caught the scent of Bunny's cologne.

"Thanks. You ready to go?"

"Sure" Jack said as he tottered down the steps with his date and then thanked him for opening his door. "Such a gentleman" he said cheekily before starting to freak out as he wondered whether he should have kissed Bunny. Too late now.

"Well, it wouldn't do for me to treat you the same at night as I do in the day"

"Considering what's happened in recent nights, I should say not"

"Hey" Bunny said with a low chuckle, "I'm trying to be suave. No dirty talk"

"Have it your way" Jack said as he thought, "_Shit, Jack! Don't be slutty!"_

When Bunny got into the car, he didn't waste any time in gunning it and asking Jack if he was hungry. Jack replied generically and then puzzled as Bunny smiled knowingly. It made him wonder what he'd got in store and figured it couldn't have been too outstanding. After all, he still didn't know Pittsburgh that well and he surely hadn't been to enough restaurants to get such a good idea of where the ideal first date should be. That was a deduction that soon began to fade as they crossed into Southside and then headed towards Mount Washington and into the hills.

It wasn't long before they pulled up at some place Jack had never been to before and as Bunny came around to help him out of the car - something Jack found made him feel so pleasurably delicate and feminine – he looked up at the imposing but charming white façade of the restaurant Bunny had brought him to and smiled up at the sign with an intrigued look on his face.

"What's this place?"

"Just a little somewhere I know" Bunny said as he stood next to him.

"You know places?"

"Sure."

"I've never been here"

"Well, I hope it'll be a pleasurable experience for you"

"The evening's still young, Bun Bun"

Perhaps uncomfortably for Jack, Bunny didn't berate him for that 'Bun Bun' remark. It was uncomfortable because he usually defended himself with banter whenever Bunny might shoot something he'd said back at him. Now he was being perfectly nice and making him feel special, something Jack didn't know how to respond to. It was nice, really nice in fact, but as he felt himself warming to Bunny so much he became increasingly aware that he wasn't being the perfect date in return. It made him nervous and he knew that very feeling was going to make him slip up. Why couldn't he just be charming like Bunny instead of looking like a fool? Perhaps even more annoyingly, Bunny didn't even seem to mind. He just took him as he was and he couldn't have been more accommodating to his awkwardness. Damn him!

As the taller man opened the door to the restaurant for him, Jack walked inside and then quietly followed Bunny. He didn't hear what he said to the maître d' but before he knew it they were being escorted to a table in the back corner near the window. He seemed to float across the floor as he took in how sophisticated and neat everything was here and he had to say he was impressed. Finally, as he was brought back to reality by reaching the table, he was briskly whisked off once more as he was suddenly confronted with the view from the window that was spread out before him. Out in the darkness he looked down on the faint, twinkling lights of the city, jutting into the sky with the tall buildings of downtown in the middle and ringed off with the river like a black ribbon snaking through the sparkles.

"Wow" Jack said as he took it all in and wondered how he had never heard of this place before.

"You like it?" Bunny asked as he stared out with him.

"How did you find this place? I've lived here for two years now and I've never been up here"

"For me to know, Jacky…"

Jack just smiled anxiously and went to sit. He felt that same nervousness come to a head once again as Bunny pulled out his chair for him and then tucked him in as he sat. It felt nice to be treated like a lady, a girly thought he didn't let weird him out. To be completely honest, he had a lot more girly thoughts than he cared to admit but he figured it was okay since he was gay. It seemed though that ever since Bunny had arrived his thoughts had become increasingly girly and he wondered if the final part of his whole homosexual package had finally been delivered to coincide with Bunny's arrival. Maybe Bunny had activated some recessive girly gene somewhere within him and that's why he was enjoying being wooed. Not that he prided himself on being overly masculine or anything. After all, he did enjoy doing girl stuff with Tooth from time to time although it was nice to remember that, at the end of the day, he did still have a penis. In any case, it was more fun being a boy. There was far less maintenance involved.

"So, tell me about yourself, Jack" Bunny said after ordering wine and sending the waiter away.

"Huh?"

"This is our first official date. Shouldn't we pretend we don't know each other?"

"Oh, okay. Well, I come from a small town outside the city and I've lived here fulltime for the past couple of years. I play for the West Penn Philharmonic"

"Really?" Bunny said with playful intrigue, "What do you play?"

"Violin. I've actually just been promoted to concertmaster"

"You don't say? And you're only twenty-five?"

"Twenty-four" Jack said with sarcastic smugness.

"How did you manage that?"

"Well, we got this new conductor who I think has a thing for me"

"Really? What's he like?"

"Kind of an ass. Some pompous Australian guy that thinks he can do whatever he wants"

"Is he hot?"

"Eh…" Jack said with a smile, "So, how about you…Aster, was it?"

"My friends call me Bunny"

"Bunny? Why?"

"My last name. Promise you won't laugh?"

"Your last name is Bunny?"

"It's Bunnymund"

"Bunnymund?"

"Yep"

"That…is…hilarious"

"Hey! Don't be mean or I'll split the bill"

"You never know, I might skip out on you when I go to the bathroom"

"Not if I skip out on you first"

"Fine. So, Bunny, tell me about yourself?

"Well, I was born and raised in a little town north of Adelaide"

"That's in Australia, right?"

"Yeah"

"I figured from that crazy accent"

"I could say the same about you. It's nice to hear you talk though. Strangely deep and resonating"

"You think so?"

"I do. Anyway, I was brought up there but I had to move to Melbourne not long after I turned thirteen"

"Oh, really?" Jack asked without prying. He knew the reason why.

"Yeah. Unfortunately I was orphaned after an accident and went to live with some distant relatives"

"Sorry to hear that"

"It's okay. It's long in the past and I turned out okay"

"Oh, yeah?"

"I think so. What I do might interest you actually. I'm a conductor"

"No kidding. You'd think I would have heard about it being in the same business"

"Maybe. Maybe we'll see each other sometime at work"

"I hope so"

"Well, I came here a little over a month ago and I think I've finally found my footing. It's hard to work out the little things like where to shop and where to run, you know?"

"I do. You look like you work out"

"You've got a keen eye, Jacky"

"Oh, please don't call me Jacky. It's just Jack"

"Sorry, Jack. Sore spot?"

"Yeah, that asshole conductor I told you about keeps calling me that and one of these days I think I'm gonna kill him for it"

"Oh dear. Hate to be that guy. And he sounds like such an amazing bloke"

"You'd know what I meant if you met him"

"Haha. Well, yeah. Not to brag but I do work out a bit"

"Well, it shows. You must have all the boys lining up"

"Oh, not that many…"

"You mean you're not some kind of player? With those looks?"

"No. I don't date that much. Are you saying you think I should have more of a following?"

"Well. I've only just met you and it seems strange to me that you don't see a lot of people. Isn't it, like, natural law for someone so hot to spread themselves out for everyone to enjoy?"

"Oh stop! You'll embarrass me"

"Not making you blush, am I?"

"And I thought it was my place to make you blush"

"I guess that's the sixty-five thousand dollar question when you're two guys on a date"

At that moment the wine arrived and they paused while it was served. Taking his glass, Jack held it up and spoke, "So, what shall we drink to?"

"Well, I've only known you for a couple of minutes, but, I'm feeling pretty good about this"

Jack looked down and smiled, "I think so"

"Then to us"

"To us" Jack repeated before clinking his glass against Bunny's and drinking. After setting his glass back down, Bunny reassumed his suavity.

"So, Jack, what about you? Do you date a lot?"

"No, not really. I find it hard to ask guys out"

"Why?"

"It's scary. I usually just wait to be asked out"

"You find it easier?"

"Yeah. Besides, at least then the roles are set in place"

"The roles?"

"Yeah. Like, the one who asks is kinda the one in charge and who's there to impress the other. And then, the other is there to be wooed and the one who decides whether or not there will be a second date"

"I see. And that's the role you've assumed tonight?"

"And whenever else I'm on a date"

"I see. So, have you had a lot of relationships?"

"No, not really. Nothing major since college. You?"

"I finished with my last boyfriend about a year ago. It was fun at the beginning but it turned out he wasn't who I thought he was"

"Hmm. Well, I hope I don't disappoint you"

"I'm sure you won't."

"Well, my last boyfriend wasn't my boyfriend for long. It was college though so nothing was ever really gonna be lasting"

"I guess not. Was it hard to break it off?"

"No. He was screwing around and I wasn't going to let him get away with it"

"I should say not"

"Yeah, well, I guess I kinda felt a little tied down as well. I wanted to have fun"

"And did you?"

Jack took a drink before answering cautiously, "I did. But I'm ready for something more serious now…and I have been for a while"

"Good to know" Bunny said as he drank too.

This was nice. His apprehension had completely disappeared. The way Bunny had directed their conversation and set them up like strangers made it so much easier and had Jack spared a thought to consider it, he would have marvelled at how astounding it was that his worries had been subdued.

That was the way the evening went on. Bunny and Jack just kept talking and eventually they transitioned out of pretending and began to chat in the same manner as usual. No banter though, and even though Jack tried to start it up a few times he found Bunny didn't run with it. It was simply pleasant conversation mixed with enticing rhetoric and Jack could feel himself falling for this man. His life, as he explained it, was so rich and full and Jack marvelled at how interesting it was to listen to. It was made even better by how relaxed Bunny made him feel regarding his comparatively meagre background and it was nice just to talk to him and feel like equals. Something in the way he spoke was just so welcoming and Jack couldn't help but become all wrapped up in the perfection that was the date Bunny had created.

As the evening flew by, Jack found the car door being opened for him again after they pulled up to his apartment and he carefully held onto Bunny's arm as he was walked up the steps to his front door. It had been such a lovely evening and he felt worlds better now than he did before they'd begun. As they reached the top of the steps, they turned inwards and stood close to one another. Jack delicately looked up at Bunny who was obviously freezing but was trying his hardest not to let on. He smiled as he saw him try to be brave and then grabbed onto his lapels to draw their bodies closer together.

"I had a really great time tonight"

"So did I. Thanks for coming"

"How could I not? No one should turn down a date when it's you asking"

"Well, I don't think I'll be asking too many other people"

"Can I take that to mean I did good?"

Bunny smiled, "Perfect"

The two stood there, holding one another's warm gaze for a few seconds before it became a little awkward and Jack looked away nervously. His heart was beginning to pound in his chest as he stood close to his man and he knew what he wanted to do. Having the courage to do it was another thing entirely though and he just didn't know if his nervousness would let him.

"_Actually, the hell with that!" _he suddenly thought to himself and turned his eyes back to Bunny. He'd been taking anxious crap from his conscience all evening and he had quite simply had enough.

As the silence lingered between them for a few more seconds, Jack finally plucked up the nerve to grip Bunny's lapels again and pull himself up to his height. Very carefully, he edged forward, closed his eyes and delicately pressed his lips to Bunny's. He felt his mind melt as Bunny placed his hands on the sides of his head and pull him closer, pausing only to open his mouth a little and massage Jack's lips with his own. Just standing there kissing was pure magic and Jack felt almost disappointed through his dreamy haze when Bunny finally edged away from him. Everything inside him was fluttering like mad and somehow it seemed he had became a hundred pounds lighter in that wonderful moment. When he did finally sink back down to earth, he opened his eyes and smiled as Bunny rested his forehead against his. Before he even knew what he was doing, he spoke.

"Do you wanna come in for a nightcap?"

That's what broke the heavenly moment. Bunny, not waiting to be gentle in his response, carefully helped Jack back down onto his heels and then stepped away with a smile.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Jacky, but E. Aster Bunnymund does not put out on the first date"

Jack nearly choked as shock suddenly filled his system and all of a sudden he found he had no idea what was going on as Bunny began to walk down the steps. Forcing his legs to be steady, he clung onto the railing at the top of the steps and clumsily managed to produce words.

"But…but…we've already…"

Bunny just chuckled to himself as he opened his car door.

"Sorry, Jack. I'm a classy broad. Try again next time"

Damn that Bunny! How had he managed to wait until the most perfectly opportune moment to catch him off guard and make sure he finished the evening with the upper hand? Deciding to take it comically, Jack made one final push to gain it.

"Bunny. Come on! That was the best date ever! Let's round it off with some good, old-fashioned humping!"

Bunny buttoned his lip with a smile as he suddenly turned his eyes to a rather shocked looking older couple who happened to be walking past and then looked back at Jack who held a similar expression. He waited until they had gone and Jack had turned suitably red before speaking quietly.

"I think, with that, I shall say goodnight, Jacky. Thanks for a great evening"

"Bunnyyyy!" Jack whined as he leaned over the railing in apparent desperation. It made him pause and smile at the childish boy and then, after kicking himself for not just getting in the car and remaining superior, he stood back up and ran back to Jack to kiss him again. It was more playful this time and he broke it off quickly before turning to leave once more.

"Goodnight, Jacky. See you in the morning"

"Goodnight" Jack said defeated although maintaining a cheeky smile. He delicately waved to Bunny as he began to drive off and then followed him with his eyes until he had rounded the corner. Opening the door and stepping in, he leaned against it as it closed and tilted his head up to the ceiling with his eyes shut. Could the evening have gone more perfectly? It had just been amazing and Bunny had made him feel so special. He was such a great guy and he wondered how on earth he had managed to catch his eye in the first place. He wasn't complaining though, and as he climbed the stairs to his apartment he couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he felt the wonderful feeling of excitement and success fill him to the brim.

When he opened the door he was confronted with the sight of Tooth passed out on the couch with a blanket over her and the TV on low. Various cleaning products were scattered around her and as he looked around his extremely tidy apartment he quickly became aware of what she had been doing. It seemed she hadn't gone home in the end as he had expected and he didn't have the heart to wake her up and send her away tonight. With a contented sigh, he turned off the TV and quietly made his way to his bedroom. He'd have plenty of time to tell her how it went in the morning. For now, they both could sleep peacefully and he knew tonight was going to be filled with wonderful dreams. He had plenty of material to go on after all, and in the end he supposed it was nice of Bunny to refuse his offer of coming up. At least now he could remember it as something wonderful Bunny had done for him without having to offer him some kind of reward. Tonight had been wonderful and as Jack settled himself he couldn't believe how great he felt. He was so lucky.

**Glossary**

**Pit: The space under a stage where the musicians sit during a ballet or a musical.**

**There it is, y'all! A whole new chapter finished. Hopefully I'll be a bit quicker with the updates this week since all of last week's stuff is now finished. I'll also try and write something sexy again simply because it's fun to read.**

**Until then my lovelies, thank you all so much for your reviews and follows. I love to hear what you have to say and it's so lovely to get any kind of feedback. Yay everyone! xxx**


	15. Chapter 15

**D'awww you guys! I love waking up the next morning after posting a chapter and seeing so much love in my inbox. You are all so lovely!**

**More clarity on the BlackIce. I don't want to give too much away but what I've got planned is going to be brief and unsavoury. I can't tell you more than that at the moment without giving it away. Trust me, things will be okay!**

**WARNING: I imagine you're enticed by the idea rather than repulsed but I should mention that there is gay smexiness in this chapter. Truthfully though, why would you be here if you didn't like that. **

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 15**

The next morning, Jack woke up peacefully and remained in bed for a little while not wanting to move and risk disturbing his contentedness. Last night had been utterly amazing and the high he'd obtained from Bunny's masterfully produced date had clearly carried over through his sleep and into his consciousness now. How nice it was to feel so special and as he continued to lay there, he couldn't help but smile as he remembered every little detail of his night and how warm it made him feel.

It was a strangely literal warmness actually, and pretty soon Jack began to feel the heavy impression of someone next to him. He was almost sure Bunny had refused his offer to come up when he'd asked and he puzzled as to who or what could be lying there with him in his bed. Lifting his head, he was greeted with a multi-coloured hair scrunchie over the mound of blanket that stood between him and his mystery bed partner and wondered for a second before he realised it was Tooth. He let his head flop back down onto the pillow as he suddenly remembered her having still been in his apartment when he'd gotten in and he figured she must have come to join him sometime in the night. It seemed she really had been that eager to find out how it had gone and in the end he found it sweet, not annoying, that she was so inquisitive about it. He also figured he had full mocking rights over her wearing of a scrunchie – even if it was just for in bed – and he set that aside for later teasing.

Carefully lifting himself out of bed making sure not to wake her, he ambled out into his living room and made his way to the kitchen to make coffee. While waiting, he poured himself some juice and sat at the table while he tried to wake up. The tang of orange was usually what it took to revitalise him in the morning and although he really didn't want to leave his dreamy, Bunny-infused state he knew that the sooner he got up, the sooner he'd be able to go to work and see him again.

As soon as the scent of fresh brew began to fill the room, he heard a thump come from his bedroom followed by the appearance of a sleepy looking Tooth a few seconds later.

"Good morning, sunshine" he said with a little bit of his usual cockiness.

"Morning" she said as she made her way to the table, "Sorry I'm here"

"It's okay. Is that one of my tops?"

Tooth looked down at the shirt she had found and then smiled as she looked up.

"I didn't want to wear my day clothes in bed. Do you mind?"

"Not this early, I don't"

"Cool…"

There was a pause and Jack wondered why he hadn't been jumped upon just yet. It was strange to have been interacting with her for more than ten seconds without being verbally assaulted.

"Aren't you gonna ask me how it went?"

Tooth closed her eyes and titled her head to stretch her neck.

"Coffee first"

Jack smiled and hoisted himself up to go and pour them both a cup. After a minute or two she perked up, pulled the scrunchie out of her hair and began to grill him over his date which he responded to gracefully. The more he told her, the more energetic she became and it wasn't long before she regained her regular daytime personality of bubbles and fireworks that Jack found so overwhelming and pleasing at the same time.

"So how did it end?!" she said as she bobbed up and down in her seat.

"Well, he walked me up to the door and we talked for a little while"

"And did he kiss you?"

"I kissed him"

"You hussy! What was it like? How did it happen?"

"I guess there was like…a pause and then I just did it"

"How did you do it?"

"I kinda rose up and-"

"You rose up? Like, on your tippy toes?"

"Yeah"

Tooth squealed, "That it so cute!"

"Haha. He is pretty tall. Anyway, then I put my arms around his neck and…we just kissed"

"How was it?"

"Really good. It was kinda gentle but then he took over and it was more…"

"Heavy?"

"Sure. It was kinda…" Jack sighed as he brought his cup to his mouth, "…just perfect"

Tooth swooned playfully and flopped back on her chair. "Wow…you're so lucky"

"Yes, I am" he said and they both giggled together. "So, are you going home before work or…"

"Yeah, I guess" she said as she finished up her cup and set it down. Quickly she grabbed her things and then said she'd see him later before heading out to her car. Jack was left alone in his tiny kitchen with his floaty feeling to keep him company. Pretty soon though he found that wasn't enough and skittered into his bedroom to fish out his phone. Quickly he tapped out a message, '_Last night was so great. Thank you for taking me out' _

After he sent it he jumped in the shower and finished as quickly as he could so he could run back out and check. Sure enough, waiting for him was Bunny's response, '_Thanks for coming, sweetheart. Can't wait to see you later'_

Jack bit his lip excitedly through a smile and then set about getting ready. Today was going to be a good day. He could feel it. Plus, he had a tickly feeling from being called 'sweetheart'.

_At the concert hall…_

Jack bounded in gleefully in search of Bunny. He didn't know he was behaving like he was a cheerleader looking for the quarterback but something felt so awfully juvenile about the whole situation. He hadn't really had a comparable experience in high school and so maybe that was the reason he was acting it out now. Whatever the case, he was excited to see Bunny and as soon as he jumped through the auditorium doors, he looked up to the stage where Bunny stood and smiled the brightest, shiniest smile he had smiled all week. After dropping his things on a seat, he bounded up to the stage and landed with a thud behind his man.

Bunny didn't turn straight away when he heard someone come up behind him. He knew who it was and decided to have some fun with him. Keeping himself busied in what he was doing, he let the seconds pass allowing Jack to become all the more flustered in his restraint. Pretty soon he heard Jack begin to bounce on his heels as he became impatient and then slowly turned around to relieve him before he wet himself like an excited puppy.

"Oh, hello…" he said uninterestedly before turning back around and smiling to himself. Jack just stood there surprised then whined quietly for only Bunny to hear. The taller man couldn't keep back a snigger upon hearing the adorable sound and turned his head to give Jack a wry glance before wandering off towards the wings of the stage. Jack tottered along behind him like a lapdog expecting a treat and when they were out of sight, Bunny let down his guarded, teasing façade threw his arms around Jack's waist.

"Did you really think I was gonna brush you off?" he said with a smile before leaning down to give Jack a long, slow kiss as he gently swayed him from side to side.

"You should know better" Jack replied when they broke, "You can't play with me after a date like that"

"And why not? You think I don't like you anymore?"

"Of course. You can't show me such a good time and then pretend like you're not interested. I don't wanna think I've been dumped"

"Well, don't worry. You're not dumped"

"Promise?"

"Promise" he said before kissing him again. "So, are we going public now?"

"I don't know" Jack said wistfully. "What do you think?"

"You've been here longer. How would it go down?"

"It would sure give them all something to gossip about"

"You think they're all such busybodies?"

"Oh yeah. Not sure if I should give them anymore bait just yet"

"So, we gonna stay a secret for now?"

"I guess. What do you think?"

"I'm easy" Bunny said as he tightened his grip, "but not like that. Not like you"

"Hey!" Jack chuckled, "You better watch it or I'll make sure you regret that"

"I'd like to see you try" Bunny said as he lowered his head to Jack's eye line.

"Oh, would you?" Jack said as he leaned in to bit Bunny's lip. The two remained in the shadows for a little while longer before Bunny stood back and told him to give it a few seconds before he followed. Jack agreed and leant against the wall as he watched Bunny walk back out onto the stage where many of the players were now taking their seats. He really did look good from every angle and it reminded him how amazing it was that he was involved with such a gorgeous hunk of man.

"Playing it a little dangerously, aren't you, Frost?"

"Holy sh-…!" Jack exclaimed as he spun towards where the penetrating voice came from. He turned his eyes just in time to see the ghostly figure of Pitch emerge from the shadow in the offstage back corner and took a second to catch his breath. "What the hell are you doing back there?"

"I was coming to listen to the rehearsal for a little while and decided to keep out of the way, lest I put certain people off"

"How courteous" Jack sneered as he started to leave.

"Stop, Jack! Wait…" Pitch said as he stepped closer, "I have a little task for you"

Jack felt a shudder run through his body as Pitch's words entered him and he begrudgingly turned back to face the sinister man.

"And what is that?"

"Just a little something I need done. Come to my office at lunch and I'll show you"

"You can't tell me now?"

"And rob you of the joy of anticipation? Surely not. Do you think I'm that cruel?"

Jack shot him a steely glare and then stomped off onto the stage. Pitch just smirked as he watched the boy leave and then sank back into the darkness like a serpent.

The creepy feeling he felt inside overshadowed the rest of Jack's morning. He had no idea what Pitch would want him to do but he knew it couldn't have been pleasant. He hope at least it would be nothing illegal, after all Pitch couldn't be involved in anything like that. Then again, he was a cryptic man and Jack really didn't want to speculate on what he might get up to in his spare time. Fortunately, his anxiety didn't affect his playing that much and it was nice to be able to distract himself, if only for a little while.

When lunch came around, Jack quietly slunk away from Tooth's excited harassment of Bunny and began the long trek to Pitch's office. The whole scenario just seemed sour to him and he really didn't want to find out what was waiting up there. Still, what else could he do? The sooner he got this over with, the better, and if he could get it done before the others noticed he was gone then that could only be of benefit.

He decided to skip courtesy and burst into Pitch's office without knocking. To hell with being polite to the man if he was actually going through with this torture.

"Right. I'm here. Let's get this over with" he said matter-of-factly.

Pitch just gave him an unimpressed look but decided not to berate him for his rudeness for now.

"Ah, Jack. I'm so glad you came. I do hope I haven't inconvenienced you"

"Ha ha ha" Jack grunted sarcastically. "What do you want me to do?

"Ah, where to begin? Well, don't worry. It's nothing too taxing. I wouldn't want to distract you too much from thinking about that jackaroo"

"Leave him out of this, Pitch. This is between you and me"

"You and I, Jack, you and I. At least try to speak properly"

Jack sighed, "Why am I here?"

Pitch got up from his desk and walked around to pass Jack just a little too closely. Turning around, Jack saw him open a closet door and switch on the light inside.

"Take this" he said as he stood back. Jack stretched his arms to receive an extremely heavy box with the name of one of the symphonies they'd played last season written on the side.

"Okay"

"What I want you to do is go through this box and erase all the pencil markings from the scores"

"Are you serious?" Jack said astounded, "Isn't this the entire orchestral set?"

"Yes, Jack, it is. Surely you don't have a problem with that"

"Hell yes I have a problem with that! It'll take forever!"

"I didn't ask you if you minded, Jack. I told you to get started. What was unclear about that?"

"I can't possibly do all this now!"

"Well, how fortunate for you the weekend starts tomorrow"

Jack stood there speechless. Knowing those scores they must have been covered in pencil markings from various players and he bet few of them would have bothered to do their own erasing. This was completely unreasonable but it seemed he had no choice. At least it wasn't against the law.

"Have them back first thing Monday" Pitch said as he directed Jack towards the door and before he had time to protest, he was ushered out into the hall with the door closed behind him. As he began to trudge away with the box, he gritted his teeth as he cursed the way he was being exploited. He couldn't believe he'd agreed to this. Being Pitch's personal slave seemed like no fair deal to keep having sex with Bunny under wraps. In fact, in hindsight it seemed like what they'd done really wasn't a big deal, although maybe it wasn't quite so clear-cut as that. It probably would have been fine for them to simply be a couple in front of everyone but the clandestine sex they'd had on the weekend would almost certainly be a problem should it come to light. Why couldn't they have simply done it elsewhere? Then there'd be none of this servitude, none of this unpleasantness.

Perhaps on second thought, he was getting off easy though. As Jack thought about it he pretty much figured Pitch could have him do far worse than erasing scores. Of course, he could be saving up something nasty for sometime in the future but for now he supposed he was getting off lightly. Maybe he could make this work. Scratch that, he had to make this work. For the sake of himself and Bunny he had to make sure he kept Pitch happy and perhaps he should just count his blessings that he wasn't being asked to kill a guy. Yet.

Jack sighed as he entered the break room to stash the box to be picked up later. He couldn't believe he was trying to reason with himself over this.

For the rest of the afternoon, he did his best to play for the couple of remaining hours they had left of rehearsal and eventually managed to reach 3PM when they were dismissed. Hanging back with Bunny and waiting for everyone else to leave, he put on a brave face for him and kissed him out in the open with only Tooth around to see them. Jack quickly learned they had planned to go out together and that he was specifically not invited to which he pretended to be annoyed. Still, it was nice to know they could go out together and not need him to make it work. At least then they could all remain friends.

Assuring Jack he'd call him later, Bunny parted with Tooth when they got outside and Jack made sure they disappeared before he turned back to get his box. Hauling it home along with his bag and his violin was not an easy task and he cursed Pitch repeatedly for making him do this. Still, he tried to remind himself he was getting off easy and tried not to complain too much. After all, who was there to hear it but himself?

As soon as he got in, he placed the box down and started to paw through it, slowly becoming deflated as he saw how many scores there were in there. Falling back on the couch, he rubbed his tired eyes and wondered for how long he should procrastinate before getting on with the task. He'd have to go to Burgess tomorrow for lessons and he supposed he could be back by about four-ish at a push and get on with this. Then there was Sunday which he had free so far. What about Bunny though? Surely he'd want to meet up at some point. Casting his mind back to the previous weekend, he smiled as he remembered how great it had been. Of course, the high had only lasted a day or so before Pitch decided to screw him over. In all it had been an up and down week, and as Jack stared up at the ceiling he wished he could have just one week when he could finish on a categorical high.

With a sigh, he took off his hoodie and then went to work on the scores. Pitch, of course, hadn't supplied him with erasers and he figured he'd have to go and pick up a packet at some point when the one he had wore out.

So began Jack's busy but boring weekend of going through about one hundred scores and erasing the multitude of pencil scribbled onto the pages. His fingers quickly became grey with graphite and by Sunday evening he resolved never to send a score back with markings on again. It had been tough to get through the two supposedly free days. Fitting in the lessons was its usual chore, but trying to pretend as if nothing was wrong when Bunny and Tooth had come a-texting was something else. The pair had been voracious in their communicative prowess and by the time 6PM on Sunday evening rolled around when Jack was finally finished, he felt not only tediously bored but extremely guilty at having to refuse his friends' offers of fun and lying to them when they asked why. He felt especially bad about doing so with Bunny though. They'd only just started dating and he figured now was the time they were meant to be spending every possible waking moment with one another. This was the exciting, giddy time and still he was forced to stay away.

Well, the hell with that now. Pitch couldn't complain about the work he'd done and for now the dastardly man wouldn't be able to impose on his life any more. So, stopping only to pick up wine, his violin and fresh clothes, Jack cheerily trotted off to Bunny's apartment and smiled as he knocked on the door and waited. The frustration of doing the same, repetitive task for hours on end had given him the urge to do anything else at all and as it had grown, so had his general desire served to convert into a fiery libido. Needless to say, Bunny was in for a treat. As he waited he heard some fumbling the other side and chuckled to himself as he heard Bunny curse in that unmistakeable accent of his. He genuinely looked surprised when he opened to door to find Jack and before he could say anything, Jack jumped at him.

"Well, hello, Jacky!" he managed to say when Jack set his mouth free, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Oh, you know. I've been totally blowing you off all weekend and now I figured I could come here and give that a whole different meaning" Jack said as he reached down to grab Bunny's privates. The bigger man's eyes widened at the sudden invasion and then became slick with perfect understanding as Jack watched him figure it out.

"I see" he said as he took the violin and bag out Jack's other hand, set it down, and then slipped his own hands under the waistband of the back of Jack's pants.

"I hope I haven't interrupted anything" Jack said as he reached up to nibble on Bunny's ear.

"Just a little stretching. I'd say you caught me at exactly the right time"

"I guess I'm just that good" he said as he began to lift Bunny's shirt and then pulled it over his head to get at the gorgeous, rock-hard chest underneath. With renewed fire in his loins, Jack began to explore Bunny's chest with his mouth and slowly made his way down past his pecs, over his perfect abs and then hooked his fingers into the top of his pants to gently pull them down before slowly following the light trail of hair starting at his belly button and leading downwards. Bunny's eyes closed as he felt Jack go to work when he arrived at his swelling manhood and then sprung them open again when he realized he'd forgotten something crucial.

"Shit, Jack! Move! Let me close the door!"

_Later on…_

"Ah! Fuck!" Bunny groaned heatedly as he hooked his hands under the knees of Jack's spread legs and thrust his hips hard against those of the quivering guy he was buried in. Jack moaned earthily as he felt Bunny finish off inside him and then felt his body spasm as the sheer intensity of his movements pushed him over the edge too. A second or two later, Bunny fell down on top of him and panted hard against his ear as his orgasm petered out. Jack placed his arms on Bunny's back and held him tight against his own chest as they both came down from their shared climax. That had been their best sex yet and Jack was amazed at how fantastic Bunny was. Just being so close to him was so hot and his mind swam with the lingering memory of the pleasure he'd been shown. Still, it could have been down to the fact that Bunny was a still firmly lodged inside his rear but that was alleviated shortly when Bunny pulled out and fell down onto his back next to him.

Jack let his legs settle down onto the bed and then rolled over to cuddle up to Bunny side-on. Bringing his hand up to rest on Bunny's chest earned him an arm scooped around his back and together they lay there in ecstasy as the endorphins surged around their exhausted bodies.

Eventually Jack managed to mumble, "You're so amazing"

Bunny smiled, "You're not so bad yourself"

Delicately, Bunny pulled the covers back and then draped them over their bodies before turning to his lover and pulling him close. "You're staying over tonight, right?"

"Of course. You got a tissue?"

"What? Oh…sure" Bunny said as he reached behind him and pulled over a box of Kleenex. Jack set about cleaning up the mess he'd transferred from his own stomach to Bunny's as they leant against one another and the two giggled as they revelled in how naughty it was.

"I can't believe I did my boss" Jack said happily.

"It's not the first time"

"No. But I still can't believe it"

"I can't believe it's been a whole week since we last did it"

"You mean you wanna do it in the week? I thought we'd keep it a weekend treat. Like ice-skating on a Saturday when you were kid."

"Sorry. We're just to good save it for the weekend. We should be doing it everyday"

"Haha. Well, not everyday. Wouldn't want you getting any ideas about me"

"Oh, I've already got a few ideas. And I bet I can prove them all true"

"What kind of boy do you think I am?"

"You're a dirty boy, Jacky. There's no use trying to deny it"

"Well…" Jack began before pushing himself up and moving his leg over to straddle Bunny's hips, "…it takes one…" he said before leaning down to kiss him again, "…to know one."

Bunny just placed his arms around him and continued to kiss him. Eventually, Jack fell back to his side and the two cuddled together while chatting peacefully in the softness of Bunny's wide, perfectly comforting bed.

A little while later, when Jack was wonderfully warm and content whilst pressed up against Bunny's skin, his big, muscled bed-mate shifted and pushed himself away from the snoozing figure next to him.

"Hey. Where you going?" Jack asked as he lamented the loss of what was essentially a giant, self-heating teddy bear.

"I think it's time we had our rehearsal, Jacky"

"Huh?" Jack said sitting up and watching Bunny open the door.

"We didn't have one this week and I'd rather not let it slide"

"Now?"

"You have your violin, don't you?"

"Yeah, but…really?"

"Why not?"

Jack thought for a second. "Okay then…"

With that, he pushed the covers aside and climbed out of bed. Looking around for his pants, he looked up at Bunny who just stood there naked whilst watching him.

"Aren't you gonna put something on?"

"Well…" he began before stepping towards Jack and pulling him up, "I think it would be far more enjoyable for us to go without. Wouldn't you say?"

Jack produced a look as if to say 'Are you kidding?' but couldn't get away due to Bunny's grasp on his arms.

"Come on, Jacky. Let me see you play absolutely starkers"

"Starkers?"

"Naked"

"No" Jack whined playfully and suddenly feeling extremely embarrassed about being naked in front of him.

"Come on. Do it for me"

"Really?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun"

Jack couldn't think of what to do. On the one hand it sounded naughty and childish but on the other it was strangely enticing. He'd never been asked to play naked before and he wasn't sure whether he liked the idea. Still, why not? After all, he had just done something far naughtier with Bunny and it wasn't as if he hadn't seen him naked before. It would, however, be as if he were on show and that was what put him off. In the end though, he couldn't help but remember what he'd said to himself earlier, "The hell with it", and decided there was no harm.

"Okay then" he said before biting his lip nervously.

"Great" Bunny replied before turning to go into the other room, "Let me just set a few things up"

"Like what?"

Jack watched as Bunny proceeded to dim the lights and then disappeared into the kitchen for a moment before bringing out a few candles. Jack giggled as he placed them around the room and lit them and went over to his case to get out his violin. By the time he was finished, he turned around to see Bunny covered in a black silk robe and sitting on his couch.

"Hey! How come you get clothes?"

"'Cos it was my idea"

"What? So I'm your harem violinist?"

"Good thinking. Yes, that's exactly what you are. Oh, hold on" he said before jumping up again and going to grab the wine Jack had brought. After coming out of the kitchen with two glasses, he sat down again and poured them before sitting back. "Okay, Jacky, play me some Swan Lake"

"Again? I've been playing it so much lately"

"Does that mean you're finished practicing?"

"No. But…"

"Then play for me, Jack"

Jack smiled as he huffed lightly and shook his head gently as he raised his violin. With a strong arm, he began to play the piece Bunny was expecting and tried to lose himself in the music as he had been told before. It was hard to do though since he could feel Bunny's eyes drifting over his body as he played. He felt strangely exposed as he stood there and played but something, maybe the candles or the dim light or all of it combined with his playing, made the situation so incredibly erotic and he couldn't help but notice his heart beginning to pound as pure sexuality seemed to flow through in his blood.

Stopping before the upbeat section began, he lowered his violin and looked to Bunny who looked thoroughly entranced with what he was looking at. After a few silent seconds, Jack felt himself beginning to blush a little and had to speak.

"So, how was it?"

Bunny simply smiled wider, "You were sublime"

Jack smiled back and felt a little bashful at his reaction. It was nice to be told he played perfectly, especially now when he had done it completely naked. Everything about the moment was just so incredibly sensual and before Bunny could tell him to play anything else, he ambled over to where he sat, placed his violin on the coffee table and found a little niche against Bunny's body. Gently he pressed their lips together and slid his hands under his robe to feel his perfect skin again. His touch made Bunny jump just a little and Jack pulled his cold hand away as he saw what effect it had. Before he could apologize, Bunny lovingly took it and placed it against his chest again before kissing him once more and intertwined the fingers on his other hand into Jack's hair. Bunny was so warm and encapsulating. Being with him was just perfect and Jack couldn't think of anywhere he'd rather be. As such, remained in his dreamy state wrapped up in Bunny's embrace for the rest of the evening before he was carried to bed.

_The next morning…_

Bunny and Jack didn't go to work together that morning. They still weren't sure how they were going to go public and they figured the orchestra could go one more week before being given the chance to gossip or not care in the slightest.

Making their separate ways in was most opportune for Jack since he needed to swing by his place in order to pick up the box of scores he'd been working on all weekend. Struggling with them on the bus and then getting into the building with so many things to carry, Jack marched up to Pitch's office after he'd dumped the rest of his things and dropped the box on his desk after making sure not to knock again.

Pitch looked up disinterestedly at what Jack presented him with and then reached into a draw to pull out a prepared label which he proceeded to stick to the lid. Jack saw it was the name of some high school somewhere and then stared down at it in disbelief.

"What's that?"

"The label?" Pitch began, "We're donating them to a high school somewhere in Allegheny county. A good cause, wouldn't you say?"

"So why did I have to spend my weekend erasing them?"

"Well, it's nice to put the extra effort in when it comes to supporting the arts. And we have to make use of the talents you possess that are of use to us, don't we? After all, your playing certainly isn't"

Jack closed his eyes and cracked his neck. He'd let it go this time. He had finished the job and he didn't feel like antagonizing Pitch considering what kind of sway he had over him at the moment.

"Well, goodbye then" Jack said as he turned to leave. He cringed when Pitch stopped him and called him back for his next task.

"Now, Jack. I have some reviews to do today"

"Oh good. Do I get to hear how good you think I am again?"

"It's not your review, you self-important arse."

Jack fought the urge to say Pot, Kettle, Black. "My mistake. So why should I be so excited for this?"

"I've decided I want someone to take my notes for me. I'm sure you weren't planning anything for your afternoon off"

"Oh, come on, Pitch!" Jack whined at the thought of having to spend his afternoon at work when he didn't have to.

"Don't start, Frost. And don't fret. I thought of something to make it all the more interesting for you"

Jack felt uncomfortable with the way he said that and prepared himself for what was in store. "Yes?"

"I've decided I want you to give the reviews"

"What?"

"I thought it would be a treat for you to explain to your colleagues how well you think they're playing. Of course, I'll be there to summarize"

"You want me to review my friends?" said Jack in a voice that seemed to denote the sentiment 'You can't be serious'.

"Yes. No need to thank me"

"Don't worry, I won't"

"Be here at two. Now get out"

Jack huffed and exited Pitch's office in a fluster. He couldn't believe that man. How embarrassing was it going to be for him to have to tell his colleagues, most of which had been in the job far longer than he had, how well they were playing? Who was he to dispense that kind of appraisal or critique? To actually have to tell them anything was going to make him look as if he had delusions of grandeur in front of all of them and he'd be shunned from thereon. Pitch was a dick! He was an absolute dick!

Seeing Bunny at break helped relieve some of his strife. They didn't have much private time out of sight since Tooth made sure to latch onto the pair of them as they tried to slink away. She had them laughing in no time though and it was funny to listen to her speculate as to what they had gotten up to when they told her they'd spent the night at Bunny's. The memory, still fresh in Jack's mind, made him feel much better in spite of what he had to do that afternoon and he made sure to tell Tooth once Bunny had disappeared. She felt for him and tried to cheer him up but in the end he figured he'd just have to bear it. It would be over eventually after all and hopefully his reputation wouldn't be damaged too much.

Two o'clock, and Jack was following Pitch alongside the pianist that had been there at his own review and together they trotted along in silence as Pitch cast a dark shadow in the hall. Following him into the practice room after he burst in, he smiled weakly at the man that usually sat at the next stand when he was in his usual seat and did his best to ignore the strange look he received in return. He'd have a lot of explaining to do tomorrow in regard to his presence.

As Pitch intimidated the poor guy in the middle of the room, Jack did his best to remain invisible. Eventually, Pitch commanded the man to start playing and as he began his piece, Jack tried hardest to look like he was there for nothing more than to provide assistance. It was hard though since he didn't really know where to place his eyes and as he struggled to remain nonchalant he became very uncomfortable and squirmed in his seat, if anything drawing more attention to himself. When the guy finished playing, silence hung in the room until it became rather awkward and he had to ask what to do next. Jack turned discreetly to Pitch who remained fixated – albeit uninterestedly – on the man awaiting his appraisal and he too felt the undeniable squeamishness Pitch forced everyone to feel when they were under the microscope.

After a few moments of blank staring, Pitch turned his head and spoke,

"Jack?" he said as if it were a chore to be there. "What did you think?"

Immediately, Jack felt every muscle in his body clench as all eyes turned to him. He couldn't believe he was going to have to give someone he considered higher than himself critique. It just didn't feel right and he desperately did not want to say anything that might make him look like a jerk.

"I…" he began before finding no words to follow.

"Yes…" Pitch droned.

"I thought it was good"

"Good?"

"Yeah. I can't fault it"

Looking at the guy he gave a meek smile hoping his summation might be well received. Fortunately, he received thanks but, of course, Pitch was not done. With an insidious grin, he did what he had to do to turn this all around on his slave.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

"What about his bowing? Are you sure you can't fault that?"

"I…um…"

"Wouldn't you agree it was a little sloppy?"

"Um…"

"Jack?" he said firmly.

"I…I guess…I don't know…maybe…"

"So there's doubt?"

"I don't know"

"Come on, Jack! Don't be a simpleton! Do you, or do you not agree that his bowing could use serious improvement?"

"I don't know about serious-"

"Jack! Yes or no?"

Pitch shot him a glare. Jack knew what he wanted him to say and he couldn't risk going against him. Begrudgingly, he turned his eyes down and answered.

"Yes"

"Yes…what?"

"Yes, I agree"

Pitch smiled wickedly and turned to the man with the violin.

"It seems Jack does indeed take issue with your bowing. I'm sure he'd also agree your articulation was deplorable and your phrasing was possibly beyond repair. Correct, Jack?"

Jack was silent and prompted another shot from his master.

"Frost?!"

"Fine, yes" Jack said, not daring to look up and face the accused. He felt so embarrassed and ashamed of himself.

Pitch revelled in the grim feeling he'd created in the room. It was simply a delight to watch Jack squirm. He didn't care about the guy he'd come to review, he was simply there to torture the poor boy behind him and he was so pleased with his results. Turning back to the violinist, he smirked and said, "Next piece then"

For the rest of the session and indeed the afternoon, Pitch made Jack feel worse and worse as three more players came and went and he forced him to agree with his vitriolic assessments. The way he managed to spin his words to make it seem as if Jack was most at fault was truly masterful and by the end of the day Jack felt dirty with the filth of Pitch's damnation. Seeing Jack look so dishevelled and excruciated was pure art to him and as Jack tried to escape, he stopped him for one final crack at cutting him down.

"It seems, perhaps, you won't be too popular in the morning, Jack"

Jack didn't look him in the eye. He couldn't bear to.

"Perhaps" he mumbled in return.

"Still, at least you'll have that jackaroo to go and cry to"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I won't be crying over you"

"Well, we'll see. Why on earth did you go for him anyway?"

"Is that really any of your business?"

"Oh, Jack" he almost cackled, "Clearly it is. After what I witnessed I rather think anything to do with you two is my business"

"Don't you think it's a little weird? You perving off us having sex?"

Pitch's expression changed to one of resentment. "Don't forget what's on the line here, Jack. One slip up and it's bye-bye Frosty. Perhaps bye-bye jackaroo as well. Do you really want that for your precious kangaroo?"

Jack sighed frustratedly and glared up at him, "Will there be anything else, Pitch?"

"As it happens, Jack, yes" he said as he beckoned Jack to follow him and then walked in silence with him up to his office. Picking up a box and handing it to him, he smiled down at the boy.

"I don't like this radio. Take it back to Best Buy for me and get a refund"

"What?! I'm not your gopher!"

"Oh, yes, you are, Jack! While I'm keeping your disgusting secret you'll do whatever I tell you to do, you filthy little faggot!"

Jack's was stunned. Faggot? Had Pitch actually used that word? He'd never heard him be homophobic before, or racist or sexist or anything of the like. It had always seemed he'd used his unearthly ability with corrosive speech to dig at people and in that way they were all equal. Still, faggot? He had never expected that. Even more so since he'd always had an inkling that Pitch himself was gay. It seemed now, he had been wrong.

Turning around silently and leaving, he later cursed himself for not berating Pitch at the time. He shouldn't have allowed him to get away with that, secret or no secret. He had never allowed anyone to get away with attacking him for being gay before and he wasn't sure whether he was more upset with Pitch for doing it or with himself for accepting it.

Fortunately, the annoyance he felt with the man for making him run his errands managed to overshadow his upset for most of the evening and he was thankfully distracted when finished her own little date with Bunny and called him to tell him all about it.

That was the way the rest of the week went. Pitch gradually loaded Jack up with more and more mundane tasks to accomplish in ever less reasonable amounts of time and it became harder for Jack to keep what he was doing from Bunny. As he tried to fit the extra work he had to do around seeing him and work, he found himself becoming more tired and found it hard to hide his irritation. Several times he had to pass on offers to do things with Bunny and it hurt him to do so. He had desperately wanted to spend time with him but Pitch's tasks became ever more demanding on his time – especially when they involved running errands. Slowly but surely, Jack became more frustrated and as anyone can tell, stretching anyone too far is a dangerous thing to do. It all came to a head on Friday evening when Jack found himself sitting at Tooth's kitchen table while she sat on the floor arranging flowers. Usually Jack liked to interfere when she was doing that and she never seemed to mind his wanting to help despite making more work to be done. On this evening, she had no such help from her friend who was busy writing some piece for a newsletter Pitch was going to take credit for and she didn't hold back in reminding him how stupid he was being in going along with it. Gradually Jack became more and more angry with things and through no intention of his own, it slowly began to direct it towards her.

"You know it's only gonna get worse, don't you?"

"I'm trying not to think about it" he said stiffly.

"There's no use in putting it off. You're gonna have to find a way around it all"

"Well, how can I? I stop doing what he wants and he gets me fired. It's not like it's something I can get through"

"There has to be some way you can stop and keep your job. What he's doing is totally unethical"

"Don't you think I've thought about it? There is literally no way out until he lets me go"

"And you think he will?"

"I have to hope so"

"You're being stupid, Jack"

"I am not being stupid. I'm just doing what I have to do"

"No. You're doing what he's making you do. If you ask me he's more likely to get fired than you are by this point"

"I'm not gonna put it to the test"

"Well, when the time comes all I'm gonna be able to say is that I told you so"

Jack sighed with frustration, "I'd rather not talk about it"

"What? So we're just gonna brush it under the rug?"

"Have you got any other suggestions?"

"Yes! Tell somebody. Get him in trouble and then maybe they'll concentrate on him and let you off with a slap on the wrist"

"Tooth, don't be ridiculous"

"I'd rather be ridiculous than stupid"

"I am not stupid"

"You are if you're doing this"

"Fine! I'm stupid! You happy now?"

"No! Think, Jack! The more Pitch sinks his claws in, the more you're gonna get screwed over. And what about Bunny?"

"Bunny doesn't know about this. You know that"

"Well, he should"

"You think he's the kinda guy that's gonna just leave it alone? He'll go and do whatever he thinks is right to Pitch and then I'll be out on my ass. He wouldn't mean to do it but it'll happen"

"And how do you think getting him to like you better is gonna be possible when you're running around after Pitch and not spending time with him?"

"I'll have to find a way"

"Be real, Jack. You really think Bunny's gonna think you're nice to be around if you're absent and dismissive when you're with him? Not to mention exhausted"

"I'll just have to put in the extra effort"

"To hell with extra effort. Fact is, Bunny's gonna start to think you're not as fun as he thought and no amount of throwing your legs over your head is gonna compensate for that"

"Hey!" Jack suddenly said indignantly. He knew she was right but he didn't take kindly to how she said it. "Just because I have to spend a little extra time keeping Pitch happy does not mean it's gonna impact the way Bunny sees me"

"You really think so? Really? All he'll see is the guy he likes and thought liked him getting more and more distant and he's either gonna think that it's something he's done wrong or that you're just not as interested as you were. You really think he'll want to keep you as his boyfriend for long when he feels guilty for not doing a good enough job at keeping you interested in him? Or when he gets bored of you?"

Jack didn't respond. The truth hurt but he didn't want to admit it. She was right in saying he risked pushing Bunny away eventually and he didn't want that. They'd only just started and he didn't want to be thrown out already. Before he could respond she carried on.

"Or have you even officially become boyfriends yet? I bet you haven't even stamped yourselves as 'going out', right? You see? You probably would have if you had spent more time with him but already you're spending less time with him than you should. I bet you haven't even seen him outside work at all this week"

She was right. She was totally right and he only just then realized it was Friday evening and he hadn't been out with him since their last date. In fact, the last time they had time alone was last Sunday evening and that more served the purpose of scratching an itch. In the nearly two weeks they had been romantically involved they hadn't even been on a second date yet and that really made Jack begin to worry. They really should have been out a second time by now and he knew that if he left it any longer he was going to start getting into dangerous territory. He had to find some time for Bunny soon and he was going to have to make sure he fit it in around everything else. Somehow he'd have to find a way whatever that meant. On top of that, he had to find a way to crush his frustration back down inside too. He hated the situation and it cut him deep.

Really though, having Tooth remind him of the reality of it all was not helping. Although she was trying to help, all Jack could hear at that moment was her scolding him for letting it happen and he didn't like tough love when it came from her. It wasn't even his fault! He'd been forced into this position and he didn't need her telling him how stupid it was of him to let it continue.

With a stiff jaw, he responded to her little speech.

"Tooth. I just have to do this if I have any chance of making me and Bunny work"

"And what happens when you and Bunny fall apart? All you'll have left is misery and Pitch dicking you around. You'll be miserable and alone. What will you do then?"

Jack found himself stuck and he didn't like that. It made him angry and, considering the week he'd had, he was getting close to snapping.

"Tooth…"

"You know what, Jack? I really expected better of you! You were never the guy to just lie down and take it when something was wrong. You always fought things that weren't right and you were always so happy. Now you're letting yourself be miserable and really you only have yourself to blame. I hope you're proud!"

There it was, the last straw.

"It's all so fucking easy for you to comment, isn't it?!" he yelled. His suddenly heated tone shocked Tooth and she cowered on the floor as she watched him rise and start to grab his things. "You think I don't know how unfair this is? You think I don't understand that Bunny's gonna think I'm being weird? You know, the reason why I'm not that worried about losing him is because I'm trying not to think about it all the time even though I know it's what's most likely going to happen! I know how he must see me and I'm trying my damned hardest to make it work with him even though there's a big chance of me fucking it up! And if that means keeping Pitch silent while I keep stupidly trying to make myself into something worth Bunny having then so fucking be it! At least then I'll have had a shot with him! And you know what? On top of all this I don't need you reminding me about it every fucking second when we're alone! You're meant to be my fucking friend! Not someone who keeps telling me what an asshole I am!"

Tooth stared up at him almost tearfully and simply managed to breath, "Jack…"

Seeing her become upset at his outburst made Jack feel terrible and he wished he hadn't shouted at her. It really wasn't her fault but he had no time for that now. He was just too angry and overloaded to clear things up and he had to get Pitch's work done.

"I'm going" he said gruffly as he stuffed his things into his bag and began to leave.

"Jack don't" she said as she timidly got up and went to go after him. Before she could say anything else though he had gone. She was left alone in her apartment feeling awful about pushing him over the edge and it was made worse by the fact that she didn't really have anyone else to go to in order to work it out. She suddenly felt very isolated and no amount of wishing or wobbly voicemails could alleviate her strife. Many tears were shed that evening and that was only the beginning of her weekend with no word from her livid best friend.

**Oh, Jack. Just tell Bunny! Everything will get better, you'll see!**

**Thanks everyone for reading! Thanks for your reviews and follows! Keep 'em coming 'cos I love to read 'em!**

**Perhaps something you could answer for me if you feel the urge. Was the smexiness in this chapter too tame, too strong or just right for the narrative? Obviously it started out being more explicit but I scaled it back so as not to be gross. Did I go too far? Let me know! Cheers! xxx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, so I see a fair bit of discontent regarding the smut in the last chapter. As mentioned, it was originally more explicit but was dialled back to test the waters. In the future I'll let you have more smut although I won't be writing anything like "Bunny grabbed Jack's hips as he hung from the shower rail in handcuffs and stuffed his raging cock into his tight boysnatch". I think they deserve a little more class than that! (lol. boysnatch is a hilariously disgusting word)**

**Now, The Genesis Riddle brought something up that it seems some of you might also be wondering about. It is in regard to Jack being perceived as slutty. While it was not my intention to make him sound like whore, there is reason to him behaving as he does. At the beginning of this story Jack is confronted with this gorgeous, perfect man, Bunny, who he figures he'll never have a shot with. This disappointment increases as time goes on and he becomes more frustrated. Later, when they do indeed become involved Jack is amazed that it has happened but is still confronted with the fact that Bunny is nearly perfect while he is not. Feeling as if he can never live up to being as wonderful for Bunny as Bunny is for him, he overcompensates by putting out perhaps a little more than he should. Though it may not be in his character to regularly do so, he doesn't feel he has any other card to play in order to match Bunny's level of perfection. That, and being so overwhelmed with how hot Bunny is and how great it is to be with him makes him act less rationally than he would if he were thinking with a clear head. Now, why doesn't Bunny call him on it? Well, I figure Bunny is just enjoying being in a new relationship. He hasn't known Jack for long and can't tell that he might be acting a little sluttier than he usually would. In all, I've tried to write both of them as not really knowing one another too well as of yet and still getting used to each other's behaviour. Jack is also being scankier than he usually would simply to try and compensate for his perceived lack of good personal qualities in comparison to Bunny. I hope this clears it up. Sorry if it's not explained in the narrative. **

**Also, one more thing. The update after this one may be a little delayed but I'm sure you'll understand why. It's because RISE OF THE GUARDIANS IS RELEASED ON DVD THIS MONDAY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND! AAAAAAH! GOD SAVE THE QUEEN AND DREAMWORKS!**

**Anyway, onward to jackrabbit!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 16**

Jack stared up at the old ceiling tiles and the stale, florescent light emanating from amongst them with the sound of cantankerous laughing echoing around him. He felt pain everywhere in his body but he didn't think he'd hurt himself too badly. Groaning as he lifted his head up from the floor, he slowly set about getting back on his feet and dampening the rage that desperately wanted to explode from within.

"Watch your step, Frost!" he heard Pitch laugh from the top of the stairs before disappearing. Steadying himself against the railing, he bit his lip as he tried to suppress the urge to run back up there and kick the shit out of Pitch for tripping him as well as keep a tear from running down his cheek at the striking ache that spread throughout his body. In the end he eventually found the strength to turn away and go to rehearsal although he had to limp for the first few steps. He felt so degraded and humiliated at what had happened. How dare Pitch go this far! How dare he actually go so far as to trip him on the stairs and watch him fall to the bottom. It was so unfair and Jack just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide away from the world.

It had been such a terrible weekend, trying to finish the work for Pitch, fit in his trip to Burgess and then pretend to be fine to keep Bunny from catching on. On top of all that, the endless messages from Tooth dug at his heart and he really wished now he had patched things up sooner. He'd left her hanging all weekend and he just didn't know how he was going to face her this morning. He was so embarrassed for yelling at her and he felt so guilty as her pleas for forgiveness became more and more desperate. She didn't even have anything to be sorry for and he felt mortified for letting things get to where they had. He was such a crappy friend, and on top of that he was a total boob for letting Pitch have total sway over him. The only shred of light he had left at the moment was the feeling of joy and hope he got from Bunny and he had made sure not to let any message from him go more than a minute without a reply. What Tooth had said had made sense and he really didn't want to lose him. Especially since it was so soon since they had first started going out.

Pausing before going through the door which led into the backstage area, Jack leant against the wall and ran his fingers into his hair. Hopefully today wouldn't be too taxing and maybe things could get better. For some reason though, the good side of the job didn't seem as such an attractive prospect as it had before. The mounting pressure and antagonism he was being dealt made the playing and camaraderie of the group seem less compensating and he questioned why he was putting up with it. Not that he had much camaraderie to appreciate at the moment. His forced stint at critiquing his colleagues the previous week had not left him in very good standing with the rest of his section and he had quickly learned that he was starting to be viewed as a brownnosing, self-aggrandizing jerk that was only concerned with climbing to the top and staying there. It seemed by the end of the week, Tooth was the only person he still had in his section that still had affection for him although that seemed to have gone to hell now. He felt utterly crestfallen for letting things get where they were.

Pushing the heavy door open, he walked quietly towards the auditorium with his head down and passing people along the way who he could tell were giving him unimpressed glares. He felt like a total pariah and he hoped he could just get through the day. When he took his seat after getting his things ready, he received no renewed acceptance from the deputy and so proceeded to sink down in his chair miserably as he waited for things to get started.

After a few minutes, he saw a flash of turquoise enter the auditorium and he turned his eyes carefully to focus on his guilt-ridden friend. When he saw her look his way he looked away and nibbled his lip gently as he tried to disperse the excruciating feeling of disgrace that filled him. It was a feeling that only got stronger when she mounted the stage and began to walk towards their section. Jack could feel her eyes on him as she approached and then cringed before looking up as she paused at his chair.

"Hi, Jack" she said quietly with a tentative voice to go with her downtrodden demeanour. She looked timid as she stood there before him and it was almost unbearable to see her looking so quiet and cheerless.

"Hi" he responded nervously after a gulp. "I…uh…"

"I'm sorry if I've been bugging you. I just-"

"No, no, I'm…it's…ugh! Come on…" he said as he put down his violin and took her off to the wings. Once there he took a breath before turning around to face her.

"Look, Jack. Forget whatever I said. I'm sorry I ever tried to tell you how to feel or that you're stupid. I know this is hard for you"

"No, Tooth, I'm sorry" he said as he stepped towards her. It seemed only a complete, embarrassing release of pent up feelings was going to alleviate the tension that had built between them and so it begun. "I was just feeling totally messed up because of what I had to do and then when you said all the stuff, which was right by the way, I just didn't wanna hear it. You were totally right about everything and I just…I…oh man. Look, I'm really sorry for yelling at you. You didn't do anything"

Holding out his arms, Tooth stepped into them and the pair fell against one another as they repaired their short spell of being at odds.

"I did. I shouldn't have been a pest"

"You weren't a pest. You were just looking out for me"

"I still should have been nicer"

"You're nice all the time. I should have listened. I'm sorry"

"I guess we're both a little to blame"

"No. You're not to blame for anything. It's all me, Tooth. I'm really sorry"

"Oh, Jack" she said with an 'I know him so well' kind of expression as she squeezed him. Jack flinched and groaned as she clutched a sore spot and immediately she began to fuss over him.

"It's nothing" he said as he tried to quieten his aching muscle. "Pitch…tripped me down the stairs"

"He what?!" Tooth barked

"It's nothing. Just, don't worry"

"Oooh no, Jack! This has gone far enough!" she said before trying to storm off. Jack caught her before she could leave.

"Tooth, please! Pleeeease! Don't do anything. Don't let him drag you down too"

"Jack, this is getting out of control! You can't let him getting away with beating you up!"

"He didn't beat me up. And anyway, I couldn't prove it even if I did say anything"

"But Jack…!" she said in that sad, desperate tone he had become acquainted with recently. Feeling it cut just a little deeper than usual, he stepped forward to hug her again and spoke softly into her ear.

"It'll be okay. Just don't worry"

"How can I not worry? He's killing you"

"He's not killing me. He'll get bored soon and he'll let up. You'll see. I just gotta ride it out"

Tooth just moaned as she squeezed him tighter and then apologized as she felt him tense up again. After a few moments more of hugging, the two parted and then made their way back onto the stage. Somehow it felt so much easier going back out there with Tooth on his side again. He'd have to add this to this list of things he had to repay her for, and boy was it a long list by now.

It hurt Jack to play that morning. His bruising arms made it hard to keep his violin up and it hurt even more to reach over and bow on the G-string. Still, he was used to pain when playing. He was, after all, a violinist and it's true that violinists are comparable to ballerinas. It is much harder for a violinist, and indeed all string players, to make a good sound than other instruments and yet they have to make it look effortless much in the same way as a ballerina is required to stretch into all manner of contortions without so much as a flinch. Similarly, it is a far more painful skill to master and one where the pain doesn't go away with experience. Pressing down on metal strings all day and keeping a perfectly straight back on too short a chair is regularly agonizing and is respectively comparable to a ballerina dancing en pointe. Still, such strife is compensated for with a deserved smugness that can be found in just about all string sections. Knowing that it takes that much more effort to play makes the strings a snootier component of an orchestra and such a truth is nearly universal. Jack, however, did not feel that snooty this morning. He winced when he was forced to stretch his arm too far but he was simply grateful that he didn't have to play solo.

When break finally came around, he quickly scampered off into the bathroom to lift up his hoodie and then cringed at the sight of dark bruising that was beginning to show through his skin. At least he hadn't cut himself and that was probably attributed to his not rolling too much as he'd fallen. Still, he'd certainly landed on the edge of each step pretty hard and he had no idea how he was going to explain his black and blueness to Bunny. Maybe he should make sure to keep his clothes on that week, although that didn't sound very fun.

With a sigh, Jack lowered his hoodie just in time to be covered for Bunny to make his entrance.

"There you are" he said as he swaggered over and pulled Jack by his shoulders towards him, "And just how is my Jacky today?"

"I don't know about Jacky, but Jack is just fine" he said as he suppressed the urge to wince.

"You seem a little chirpier this morning"

"Well, what's there to upset about?" Jack lied. He was glad that Bunny was buying his cheery charade though.

"Exactly" Bunny said as he leaned down to kiss him. "So, you looking forward to Thursday?"

"Thursday?" Jack said wondering what he'd forgotten now.

"The members mixer. Or something. I can't remember what they told me. Sucks it's on Valentines day"

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that" Jack said as he remembered what time of year it was. Every year around this time the orchestra company put on a cocktail party for people who joined up to their patron programme whereby they got preferential tickets and VIP things and yadda yadda yadda in exchange for a big donation. This mixer was an obligation for all players so the rich society members could get to meet them and have something to brag about in their fancy pants gatherings. Jack didn't really like the idea of being forced to go but it did mean he got to dress up and got free drinks all night. He and Tooth usually had quite a good time although on occasion they had such a good time that they were asked quietly to leave by the management to avert the causing of a drunken scene in front of the people whose asses they were kissing. "I'll have to move my lessons for that night"

"You mean you hadn't moved them already?"

"Why?"

"Oh nothing. It's only valentines day"

"Oh, right" Jack said feeling stupid, "Sorry. I guess I haven't been thinking"

"Seems you haven't been thinking much at all lately, Jacky. You sure everything's okay?"

"Yeah, it's fine. I'm just putting more energy into filling Sandy's shoes"

"Ah, well, you're doing fine, mate"

"Thanks. So, did you have plans for Valentines orrr did you already know about this?" Jack said as he walked his fingers up Bunny's chest and up onto his face to tap him playfully on the nose. Bunny smirked.

"Let's say I don't think you'll be disappointed with what I've got planned for afterwards"

"Hmm. Well, I'll stay excited then"

"You'd better" he said before chuckling and leaning in to kiss him again.

For the rest of the day, Jack felt his bruising get worse and groaned as he climbed the same stairs he'd been tripped down earlier as he made his way back to Pitch's office. Trying to hide the gritting of his teeth, he pushed open the door and walked in as convincingly as he could manage.

"When are you going to learn to knock, you inconsiderate slut?"

"I don't know. I guess if I'm stupid enough to let you get away with this I'm stupid enough not to remember to knock"

"Don't get smart. You really don't know when to shut up, do you?"

"Not in here"

"It makes sense you'd be so pathetically moronic when dealing with something so sensitive" Pitch said airily as he spun his chair around and busied himself with something. It seemed he really was on a nasty streak today.

"Whatever you say"

"Exactly, Jack. Whatever I say, and don't you forget it. So, do you still think all this is worth it just to suck Aster's cock?"

Jack gulped uncomfortably. "Again, is that really your business?"

Pitch just tilted his head and gave him a warning look.

"Not jealous, are you Pitch?" Jack said knowing it wasn't the wisest thing to say. Surely enough, it only served to make his expression sourer.

"Jealous? Hardly. You really think I'd be interested in that stupid, happy-go-lucky oaf, who's no more use as a conductor than he is as a doorstop?"

Jack just chuckled breathily. It seemed Pitch was clutching at straws.

"Whatever you say, you know he's hot"

Pitch glared, "I don't need to sleep my way up the ladder, Frost. I can get there simply by talent. Tell me though, does it feel good to have to kneel down and open up every time you're told to? Does it feel good to bend over and spread your legs just to win approval? Then again, how does it feel to know that you have to prostitute yourself to get ahead since you're so lacking in any other skill?"

Jack just smirked, "You're not getting to me that way, Pitch. I know my playing is good and so do you. You just can't bear to admit it"

Pitch was silent for a moment and then slowly rose like a demon from hell. With a dark glare he began to move towards him and he had a hard time standing his ground as he felt Pitch's intimidating, looming stature weigh in on him.

"You're playing is extremely sub-par" he said slowly and with clear, damning enunciation. "It always will be and there is nothing you can do about it because you have no natural talent and are simply incapable of doing any better. You are a disgusting, trampy little faggot whore and will never be anything more. Beyond that, do you really think that jackaroo is that impressed with you? Of course he's not. He saw some gullible little slut the first day he got here who was stupid enough to believe what he said and give him a place to put his dick. He's doesn't think you're anything special, Jack! You are his fuck toy and nothing else! Before you know it he'll be out of the picture and you'll have nothing again just like before. You'll have nothing because you are nothing. You will NEVER be anything more than a cheap harlot and I think, Jack, you're more than aware of that. You've known it for a long time"

Wow. That had really been some speech. There were a lot of insults to process in such a small period of time although Jack had felt pretty okay up until when Pitch had said Bunny would leave. He hadn't thought of that before and he figured he was right. To top it off, to be called nothing and a harlot was hard to accept and all he could do as the silence became deafening was try not to look too affected.

Eventually Pitch spat at him again, "Now get out!"

Jack slowly turned and meekly made his way to the door. He didn't feel great, but as he replayed Pitch's words in his mind again he came across one in particular he'd taken issue with before. Turning around, he fixed himself with feigned confidence.

"Faggot, Pitch?" he said almost sarcastically. "I really expected something more intelligent. Running out of ways to insult me, huh?"

Jack flinched as Pitch suddenly raised a hand and he closed his eyes as he awaited the impact. Opening them again a second later he simply saw Pitch standing with his hand extended and an evil grin on his face.

"Consider that a warning, Jack"

With that he grabbed Jack, spun him and then threw him out the door before slamming it behind him. Jack was left alone and he didn't waste any time in running away. He simply hated being near that man and thankfully, as he ran, the further he got away from him the less his words seemed to jab at him. It was like running away from the darkness into the light and he only had one place he wanted to go.

Bunny was quietly packing away his things and getting ready to leave when he heard the door behind him open. Turning around with a pang of frustration at the prospect of being further delayed in going home, his bleak expectation was alleviated when he saw Jack step through. He was a little taken aback when his warm smile wasn't reciprocated and again began to wonder what was wrong when Jack didn't respond to his greeting. The boy simply ambled over to him and pressed himself against his man , intertwining his body into his arms and resting his head against his shoulder. The two simply stood there in silence for a moment as Bunny let Jack find comfort in his grasp and then began to rub his back gently before speaking.

"Jacky. I've had enough of you pretending you're okay. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Really" Jack responded rather quietly and unconvincingly. He didn't have the energy to feel worried about lying to Bunny today. He simply didn't want to feel any more emotionally overworked and he just couldn't bring himself to wonder whether or not to tell Bunny. No questioning, it was a simple no. Bunny, of course, was not satisfied and leant him back gently. Looking at his boyish face that clearly had strife hidden behind it, Bunny gave him the eye.

"Jacky" he simply said with an understanding sentiment.

Jack flicked his eyes down and sighed. "Just tell me this, Bunny. Are we a thing? Like, a real thing?"

"Of course we are" Bunny responded a little surprised at the question.

"What I mean is, are we going out? We're not just having fun? Basically, are you my boyfriend?"

Bunny smiled and shook his head amusedly, "Ah Jacky. Yes, I am. Of course we're going out. That is, if you're okay with it"

Jack just sighed feeling a little relief and pressed himself back against Bunny. "Good" he simply said before burying his face in Bunny's jacket.

Bunny decided not to press him anymore for an answer to the big question that night. After they parted, he walked with Jack to the Starbucks across the street and bought him something sugary to try and cheer him up. It seemed to help but Jack was generally quieter as he sipped at his sickly drink and Bunny had to put in a fair bit of effort to keep him talking. Later on, the pair found themselves snuggled up on Bunny's couch as they waited for Chinese food and Jack seemed to be feeling better as his mind was constantly occupied with tangents Bunny kept throwing at him. Bunny began to wonder if this was the real Jack instead of the bubbly, over-confident firework he thought he'd come to know. That surely can't have been put on though, could it? Jack's larger than life demeanour had seemed so natural and genuine it seemed strange to think that it might have been a front. Then again, if he went with his instincts and something genuinely was wrong with Jack, why wasn't he telling him? Could it be that he didn't trust him enough yet? It was conceivable. After all, they had only a few hours ago finally stamped themselves as boyfriends and had only been a thing for a little while. Maybe it was too early to expect Jack to be completely open with him. However, if they were boyfriends, then shouldn't that open the door to all emotional issues, good or bad?

Bunny didn't know. All he could tell was that his Jacky needed some comfort that evening and he was more than happy to give it to him. What's more he was pretty psyched that he now officially had a boyfriend and behaved much more excitedly than usual which seemed to rub onto Jack a little bit. They didn't have sex that night and it was nice just to lie in bed together knowing they didn't need to do it to validate anything. It was especially reassuring for Jack and as he drifted off, he began to feel genuinely alright once more. It was amazing what a simple embrace from Bunny could do to make him feel better. How nice it was to have a boyfriend to cuddle up to.

Jack remained pretty miserable for the next few days although he made sure to at least be chirpy for Bunny's sake. He was past caring about having to put on a brave face by now and the fact that he was constantly lying hardly seemed to bother him either. In some way it was nice to be able to make Bunny happy even though he himself wasn't on the inside and to see the effect he had on another almost translated to a good feeling somewhere deep within. Pitch didn't bother him much although in some ways that was worse. It made him feel as if he were building to something and it never usually held true that no news was good news with Pitch.

Things finally got to their lowest point on Thursday evening. Jack had been feeling pretty lousy all day. Usually he loved Valentine's Day and together with Tooth they'd usually make a big deal out of it despite not being with anyone respectively. This was Jack's first Valentine's Day in years when he was actually with someone and he tried his hardest to be brave for Bunny when the taller man pulled him aside in the morning and doted over him lovingly. It had been nice to be made feel special so early but it hadn't been long before he started to notice Pitch lurking and staring at him throughout the day. It made Jack terribly uncomfortable but he figured that was nothing out of the ordinary with the creepy man. His persistence was what really got to him though and it was certainly strange to be noticing him so much.

Oh well. All he had to do was get through the day and the evening and then he'd be away to enjoy whatever it was Bunny had planned. It would be nice to be purposely romantic with him instead of relying on spontaneity for a change and he even dared to become a little excited at the prospect.

At six o'clock, Jack left Tooth's front door with her clutching his arm and together they walked down to Bunny's waiting car. Upon opening the door, Jack stopped and had to catch his breath as he took in the sight of the unprecedentedly gorgeous tuxedoed Bunny waiting for them and the only thing that brought him back to reality was Tooth's giggle as she noticed his stupor.

"Come on, lover boy" she said as she dragged him down the steps and Jack genuinely felt nervous as they approached Bunny. Tooth did the talking and explained her dumbfounded friend's silence and Bunny simply chuckled before reaching for Jack.

"I take it you like?" Bunny asked before kissing him.

"Ha…" was all Jack could squeeze out as he was led to the passenger side door and helped in. As they waited for Bunny to come around to the other side, Tooth teased him cheerily and he couldn't help but laugh nervously as he realized how he was behaving.

The three of them drove jovially to the concert hall which was beautifully lit up like when they had a concert on and as they pulled up outside, it felt special to be treated like paying customers instead of employees for a change. With Bunny in the middle of his two companions, he escorted both Jack and Tooth on his arms up the steps of the old, stone building and simply said ,"Right guys, happy faces" as they made their way through the front door.

Immediately all eyes turned to them, or rather Bunny as North bellowed his name and marched over to him to greet him on behalf of the rich people they were there to impress. He was quickly whisked away and introduced to the hoity-toity crowd and Jack and Tooth made a beeline for the bar when all attention on them was dropped. If this was one of the few times the company was going to provide an open bar they weren't going to go lightly on it. Well, they would to begin but who knows what would happen over the course of the night.

"You look very dapper" Tooth said as they received their cocktails.

"Aw, thanks. You look beautiful as always"

"Really? Oh, thanks. I really shouldn't have bought this dress. It practically cleaned me out"

"Aw, come on. It's always fun getting a new dress"

"Speaking from experience there?"

"Sure. I recently bought myself this beautiful, backless black sequin number I've been dying to show off. I nearly wore it tonight"

"Well, I think you made the right choice with the tuxedo"

"I guess. But now I look like every other guy here"

"Hey. There's nothing like looking at a room full of men in tuxedos. Shame most of them are old"

"Yeah. But I guess it couldn't kill you to rub up to some rich old geezer. I bet you could be a great gold digger"

"Thanks"

"Don't mention it"

The two kept chatting away for a while before they were told to go and mingle and after a few instances of sucking up they managed to wind their way towards Bunny who was still being lead around by North.

"Ah! And here is our new concertmaster!" the big, bearded man bellowed as he stepped forward and pulled Jack forward for scrutiny. He smiled meekly around at the snooty faces that composed the little group and shook hands with as confident a grip as he could manage.

"Temporary concert master" he soon added, "I don't think I could ever fill Sandy's shoes"

"Yes, very unfortunate accident" North stated in a tone that sounded genuine but expressed sarcasm to Jack, Tooth and Bunny. "Still, he will return soon and all will be well again. Not that Jack needs quickly replacing. You will see at concert his playing and you will all be impressed. I guarantee it"

It felt nice to be shown off for once and it was even better due to him not having to do it himself. To be lauded in front of everyone as a top player felt really great and he tried his best to stay modest while being favoured above the others. Of course, it wouldn't help his current reputation but he didn't care. For once he was being noticed and he wasn't about to let it die before it naturally expired.

As he was ushered along with Bunny he felt increasingly more valued and he would have continued to build his good feeling had it not been time for the speeches. Trying to maintain modesty, he gracefully held back with Tooth as all attention turned to where the managers and patrons gathered along with Bunny and carefully the pair made their way to the back of the room so they could watch and chat at the same time. It was nice watching Bunny up there being praised and properly welcomed to the orchestra and to know that he was involved with him made it all the sweeter.

There was one little thing nagging at Jack though. Where was Pitch? He wasn't up front where he should have been and looking around the room, Jack realised he hadn't seen him all evening. He knew he must have been there, after all even he wouldn't risk being berated for missing a function like this. His absence was extremely noticeable all of a sudden though and it made Jack feel uneasy to know he must have been lurking somewhere.

That uneasiness was replaced with a sudden shock of queasiness when a heavy hand landed on his shoulder and he spun around to see its owner was the very man he had been worrying about. Standing there, Pitch loomed as usual and instilled Jack with a terrible sense of fear. Something was different this evening though. It was in his glare and his smile that were slightly more crooked and over-eager than he was used to and Jack was not at all put at ease by the noticeable difference.

"I have a job for you, Frost" he said in a menacing but strangely mischievous tone that Jack hadn't heard before. No sooner than had he spoken did Jack see and smell that he had been drinking and he just knew that whatever was to come was going to be very unpleasant.

"Now?!" Jack shot in a low voice so as not to disturb the crowd.

"I will not ask twice" he responded with a half-hearted kind of his usual chilling tone. Turning his attention to Tooth, he simply sneered, "What are you looking at?"

"Just come on!" Jack said as he barged past the inebriate tyrant and marched off down a hallway. Tooth watched until they disappeared and knew something bad was up. She just didn't know what to do though and only succeeded in becoming more nervous as she tried to contain her worry and desperation to tell Bunny.

"What do you want now?" Jack said grumpily as he suddenly spun around when he was sure they were out of earshot. Pitch just pushed past him and opened a door a few steps further.

"In here" he said as he leaned over and noticeably had to steady himself. Jack just rolled his eyes and pushed past him into the dark storage room. As Pitch followed him in, he pushed the door until it was nearly closed and made Jack feel all the more nervous when he didn't turn on the light.

"What's this about?" Jack said as the man began to step towards him. He began to back up a little himself but quickly found he was cornered amongst the piles of boxes and stacked chairs.

"You like sucking his cock, don't you Jack?" Pitch slurred as he advanced whilst his eyes penetrated the darkness.

"Christ, Pitch! Just leave me and bunny the fuck alone!"

Pitch just chuckled menacingly. "I bet you'd bite any pillow he told you to, eh? You're a dirty fucking whore, aren't you?"

"Pitch, I've had enough of this! If you don't tell me what this is really about then I'm out of here!"

"Fine" Pitch said as he stopped and glared at him sickeningly, "Maybe I was wrong to pass on your talents so quickly, Jack"

"What?" Jack spat

"You're a revolting little slut, aren't you? Well, sluts are good for something"

Jack felt his heart sink and his eyes widen as Pitch reached for his zipper and began to unbutton his pants. He felt sick as he realized what Pitch intended to do and suddenly began to frantically search for any escape route with his eyes.

"You can't be fucking serious!" Jack bleated as he backed into a stack of boxes.

"Have I never not been serious, Jack? Pitch said as he dropped his pants and exposed himself to Jack. Jack felt himself begin to shudder with fear as he realized the magnitude of the situation and fought hard at the sting in the back of his eyes. "Now, be a good little whore and get on your knees"

Jack could hardly breathe. He was terrified and he just didn't know what to do. Immediately he felt adrenaline begin to surge around his body and he desperately felt the urge to run. If only he could.

"I'm not doing that, Pitch!" he said in a far less confident voice than he'd managed to produce before.

"I will not ask again, Jack. Get on your knees and open that pretty little mouth!"

Pitch was very close now and Jack felt himself shake with every shallow breath that he took. He was so scared of what was about to happen and he nearly burst into tears as Pitch cast his shadow over him from the beam of light pointed at them from the cracked door.

Jack suddenly flinched as he felt Pitch reach out and grip his shoulder. With a yelp he shouted "No!" and threw Pitch back making him stumble as he stepped backwards. A charged, ominous silence hung in the air as Pitch steadied himself and suddenly gained a livid, hellfire expression. With heavy, raging breaths, he stared Jack down and then stepped towards him again.

"Big mistake, Frost!" he growled before lurching towards him.

Jack yelped again as he felt Pitch's hand strike him hard across the face. It was so hard that it nearly knocked him over and as he stood bent at the waist, he clutched his stricken cheek as a burning, wrathful sting took hold. No sooner had he straightened up to look back at Pitch did he feel his hand connect with his other cheek and this time it came with such force it produced an almighty crack that reverberated around the room and sent him flying into a stack of chairs before crashing into the ground.

Jack writhed on the floor for a moment as he felt a tiny trickle of blood begin to roll down the second-struck cheek and then before he could look back up at Pitch who by now had stepped over him, he heard a sudden shout, "Hey!"

Jack knew that voice. It had an Australian accent and as he opened his eyes in time to see Pitch turn around, he looked past him to see Bunny standing in the doorway and looking charged up.

"Oh, look!" said Pitch as he pulled up his pants, "The jackaroo and his whore together as usual! I was wondering if you'd show up looking for him to turn a trick!"

"What the bloody hell is going on here?!" Bunny demanded as he stepped into to look around the things blocking Jack as he cowered on the ground. Bunny was shocked as he suddenly laid eyes on his beaten, shaking boy and then felt rage fill every corner of his body.

"You think it's funny just to come in here and start calling the shots, Aster?!" Pitch blathered angrily, "You think you can come in here and fuck around with things?! Well, I suppose it's no surprise you found somewhere to shoot your load as well"

"What. Are. You. Doing to him, Pitch?!" Bunny seethed as Jack sat up and looked at the pair.

"Little whores need to be used as little whores, Aster. Seems you're already aware of that. I was just following by example"

"Were you…Were trying to…?" Bunny said disbelievingly.

"Don't be greedy, Aster" Pitch spat. "If he is the orchestra bicycle then you should let everyone have a ride!"

Without sparing a second, Bunny shot his fist straight into Pitch's nose and sent him flying across the room to crash into some old music stands and onto the floor. The wicked man lay motionless as Bunny stood and caught his breath and then flew to Jack to cradle him in his terrified state. Jack suddenly let the tears roll down his face as he buried himself in Bunny's grasp and sobbed heavily as his man comforted him.

"It's okay now" Bunny said as he stroked his hair, "It's okay"

Jack didn't bother trying to say anything, he was just too upset. All he could do was obey as Bunny slowly picked him up and walked him away towards the darkened break room in the backstage area where they usually had lunch. Sitting him on a table, Bunny pulled him close and let him pull himself together before trying to ask him what happened. As he sat, sniffing and wiping away his tears as Bunny dabbed the cut on his cheek, he felt like a kid being tended to by mommy again. A strange thought indeed considering it was Bunny caring for him.

With a sigh Bunny began, "So, Jacky. Are you still gonna try to tell me that nothing's wrong?"

Jack tried to look up but just couldn't meet his eyes. He felt so ashamed for it all to have been revealed like this. What's more, he hated that he'd been lying to Bunny for so long and he felt positively dirty for having done it since Bunny now knew it.

"I'm sorry" he said quietly, "I never meant for you to find out"

"Find out what? That Pitch has been doing whatever he was doing just then?"

"No, he never tried that until tonight"

"So what? He's been sexually harassing you? Forcing you to do…well, things like that?"

"No, nothing sexual"

"Jacky" Bunny said as he lifted his chin with his fingers, "Please tell me"

With a sigh, Jack finally gave in. "Pitch saw us that Saturday afternoon when we were here. When we…you know"

"Oh…" Bunny said awkwardly, "Okay"

"And he's been threatening to tell the managers about what we did if I didn't do what he said"

"And what did he say?"

"He's been having me do things for him. Not sexual things, not until…well, when he tried to just now. Just menial things and busywork. Although they've been getting more outrageous…"

"Right. And he's never tried to rape you before?"

Jack felt that word sting as he heard it. It was such an ugly word and all the more ghastly since it so very realistically applied to him.

"No…no he's never tried to…". He couldn't finish the sentence.

"But he has been extorting you?"

"Yes. And…And I just can't take it anymore. But I don't know what to do"

"What do you mean, Jacky?"

"I mean that I can't let him take advantage of me anymore. But if I stop he'll get me fired"

"How?" Bunny asked disbelievingly.

"I guess it's the rules or something. If he tells them we did it here, I'm fired"

"Jack, he can't tell them now. It's been too long. And even if he did, who would care? They can't fire you for that"

"I just can't risk it. I can't lose this job"

"So you'd rather let him get away with degrading you?"

"No, I just…"

"What were you going to do, Jack? Were you going to let him do that to you if I hadn't come in?"

"No, I just…I don't know what I was going to do. It all happened so fast"

"Jack…" Bunny said as he pulled him close again making sure not to get his blood on his suit. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't. I knew you wouldn't stand for it"

"Got that right"

"And I couldn't risk you getting into trouble as well. I knew I could keep you from having to go through the same thing I was. It was just something I had to do"

"Jack, you didn't have to try and spare me any worry"

"But I did though. You've been so great, and you make me feel so…wonderful. I didn't want you to have to experience Pitch's poison as well."

"You were just trying to protect me?"

Jack breathed out into Bunny's collar, "…Yes"

"Oh, Jacky…" was once again all Bunny could respond with as he drew him closer.

The two just held each other for a while as Bunny stroked his back and as they remained in silence Jack slowly began to feel all the weight, all the pain that had built up in the past couple of weeks begin to float away. It was far from over, but somehow Bunny just seemed to make it feel alright. He'd shown him the light at the end of the tunnel and rescued him from his captor. He was his hero.

It wasn't too much longer before Tooth came looking for them and nearly had a heart attack when she saw Jack in the state he was in. As she began to flap around her friend, Bunny did his best to calm her and give Jack a little breathing space. When she did finally manage to calm her down, he directed their conversation to deciding what they were going to do from thereon. It didn't take long for them to convince Jack that he couldn't go on with keeping Pitch quiet and they both assured him they'd stand by his side after convincing him to tell North himself. Hopefully the man would take pity on him, after all he was understanding and a very worldly man. Still, the idea filled Jack with terror and he couldn't believe he had agreed to potentially give himself the boot.

Soon, Bunny made his excuses to the party and slipped Jack out the backdoor so he wouldn't have to face his colleagues looking like that. Delicately he placed him in his car and drove away promising Jack he'd take him home.

As Jack watched the lights of the city pass by his window, he remembered that Bunny had mentioned taking him somewhere afterwards to celebrate Valentine's Day. Feeling responsible for ruining his plans, he simply kept silent as he couldn't bear to apologize. He'd screwed Bunny over enough recently and he couldn't face admitting to it again.

As such, he was suddenly surprised when he saw them pull up at a hotel a few blocks down and began to wonder as Bunny led him inside. Not even stopping at the front desk, Bunny took him into the elevator and together they travelled up several floors and down the hall. Whipping out a white key card, Bunny opened the door and walked Jack slowly into the dark room. Stepping around him, Jack watched as he disappeared into the darkness with only his silhouette visible against the lights from the city that shone in through the window. Suddenly, he saw the tiny flame of a match strike and then watched as several candles were lit around the room. Gently, as the light grew and the room became clear, Jack looked around as he saw an elegant, modern hotel room appear before his eyes with rose petals scattered everywhere. Most were sprinkled heavily on the bed and nearby on a small stand sat a silver ice bucket with a bottle of champagne protruding from the top. His eyes were drawn back to Bunny as he walked towards him again and all he could do was stare in amazement as he fought the urge to cry once more rise in his throat. It had been such a horrible week and he couldn't believe Bunny had gone to all this trouble for him after he had been so dismissive and unreasonable.

With a heavy gulp, he simply pressed himself against his man as he approached and closed his eyes as he found his niche once again.

"Thank you" he whispered a few moments later. Bunny didn't respond. He just held him firmly in his arms and let him bathe in the moment he so clearly needed.

They didn't have sex again that night. Bunny knew Jack wasn't feeling at all in the mood and to be frank he was quite glad. He himself felt a little tired from the tension the evening had brought and saw Jack was exhausted, not only after that's night's ordeal but the whole charade he'd been through that was now nearly over. Tonight he would simply let Jack rest as he held him in his arms and in no time at all after getting into bed, his beautiful boyfriend was asleep. Feeling him lay there so peacefully was so beautiful to Bunny and he couldn't believe the poor boy had been hiding so much from him just to prevent him from worrying. How lucky he was to know he cared so much, even if he had shown it in such a messy way. Maybe in the future he could express his kindness in a more orthodox manner but for now, his silent sleeping form would be enough for Bunny to consider himself so fortunate.

**I could just kill Pitch. We all knew he was a dick but he actually tried to rape Jack! If I were in there, that bitch would get cut! And now everything he did is splattered everywhere for Bunny to see. Oh, Jack… You need to get your sensibilities together young man! Well, at least it's over now.**

**THANK YOU ALL FOR READING AND THANKS FOR ALL YOUR REVIEWS AND FOLLOWS! As I said, the next chapter might be a little delayed because I get my DVD on Monday. Still, don't give up hope. Next chapter will be along soon. See ya soon! x**


	17. Chapter 17

**Aaah how nice it is to have RotG on blu-ray. HD jackrabbit ftw! Plus, I forgot what an awesome voice Pitch has. So silky and evil at the same time! All that and IT'S SUCH A PRETTY MOVIE!**

**Thanks, everyone, for all your lovely reviews and all of your follows as well. It's so nice to see new people coming to read this fic everyday and liking it. You all are so great!**

**When you read North's dialogue, don't forget to do the accent!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 17**

Waking up with Bunny's arm draped around him with the sun gently shining on his face whilst in the crispest white sheets was magical. The first few seconds of consciousness blessed him with perfect, unbridled serenity and as he noticed Bunny's imposing but comforting presence behind him he felt a gentle smile form on his lips.

Unfortunately for Jack it was ripped away immediately when a sting shot across his face. Flinching, he let out an "ah!" as he jolted up from the mattress and then delicately touched his sore cheeks with the tips of his fingers. The sudden rumble stirred Bunny who let out a muffled groan and cracked open his eyes to see Jack's silhouette against the morning sun.

"Mmm…morning" he said as he lay his head back down on the pillow and closed his eyes.

"Oh, hey" Jack grumbled as he managed to open his eyes again. Pushing his legs from under the sheets, he pointed his feet to the floor scattering a few lingering rose petals in the process and pushed himself up. Sleepily, he traipsed towards the bathroom, flicked on the light and then wobbled over to the sink before tilting his head up to the mirror. His eyes opened a little further in surprise as he noticed the bruises at the top of each cheek and sighed dejectedly. He had no idea how he was going to explain those later. Obviously he wasn't going to tell anyone the truth, but there wasn't any other believable excuse he could think of that would leave him in a positive light.

He lowered his head again when he heard Bunny wander in behind him but couldn't help but smile and wince again as he felt Bunny's arms snake around his waist as his lips grazed his neck. Reaching a hand up, he rubbed Bunny's hair affectionately and giggled quietly.

"Sleep well, babe?" Bunny asked as reached up to nibbled Jack's ear.

"I thought 'babe' was weird for you"

"It's growing on-" he began before pausing when he looked into the mirror and noticed Jack's cheeks. "Crikey, Jack. They must sting a bit"

"Yeah, they do". Jack turned around and leaned against the sink before placing his arms around Bunny's neck. "I was thinking of calling in sick"

"Feel free. Last night was hard"

"Yeah…but I guess I shouldn't leave things until after the weekend"

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I guess it would be good for that asshole to see what he did while it's fresh. At least then I can threaten to go to the police"

"You mean you're not going to anyway?"

Jack sighed, "I don't think so. I figure I've got leverage now"

"So what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know. I was thinking of telling him to leave but I don't know if he would"

"He did try to force you suck him off…and probably worse if…well, lets not talk about it"

"Thanks. But I guess I can get him off my back now"

"Jack, honey, you can't just go back to how it was. You have to the power to make him leave now and you should make it happen."

Jack flicked his eyes down, "I don't know if I can"

"I'll be there. And I bet Tooth will too"

"I guess but…I don't know"

"Jack…" Bunny said as he tilted his chin up with his fingers, "…it'll be fine. You'll be fine. And I'll be with you"

Jack still didn't know what to do but it felt good to have Bunny there supporting him. The past twelve hours had made him feel so looked after. It couldn't have been love, not yet, but it was something so incredibly affectionate that he couldn't pass off as just new boyfriend magnetism. Bunny was so great to him and to have him as his own made Jack feel so cherished.

With a smile and a new sense of confidence instilled by Bunny, he found a little bit of his cockiness.

"Honey?" he asked teasingly.

"Just trying it"

_Later at work…_

Jack stood at the backdoor of the concert hall staring at the steps that led up to the entrance. Next to him silently stood Bunny with a hand on his shoulder as he figured out his next move. Being here was suddenly much scarier than it had ever been before and he supposed he'd never thought that coming back here would be hard. Considering what had happened the night before it was really no surprise that he might be apprehensive but it was such a strange eventuality he had never even thought it might occur. There was no other feeling though, going to work today was scary and Jack knew as he tried to find the courage to step forward that seeing Pitch was going to chill him to such an extent he didn't know if he'd be able to bounce back.

"You don't have to go in, Jacky. It's okay" Bunny said as he crossed his arm to Jack's other shoulder and stepped closer to him not caring whether any players saw them. As it happened nobody was around.

With a gulp, Jack replied, "No…I can do this. I have to do this today"

"You're sure?"

Jack nodded meekly, "Yes"

"Okay. I'll be here the whole time"

With a steadying breath, Jack lifted his foot and took his first step towards the door. Slowly he made his way up, pulled the metal handle and walked into the hall. Bunny trailed a step or two behind him as he walked and stretched his neck out as he went to be ready to kick Pitch's ass again if it came to it. There was nothing he wanted more than to smash his teeth out but he knew it would make things worse - at least at this point. For now, he just flexed his fingers aggressively as he followed his boyfriend and was then surprised when Jack didn't turn towards the studio. Instead he dumped his stuff on a bench and then carried on towards the stairs leading up to the management's offices. He supposed that Jack might want to wait until later to get things done but it seemed he had a sooner rather than later attitude this morning – and why not? After climbing the stairs with a determined gait, Jack began to march down the hall in the direction of Pitch's office. In his chest he felt his heart beat firmly and solidly and all he could hear was the echo of his determined stride as it bounced off the walls around him. He was ready. He was going to give Pitch what was coming to him. He had never been surer of an intention and as he went he felt the anger that had been hiding away somewhere within begin to grow and boil in his blood.

As he drew close though, each step became a little less confident and pretty soon Bunny saw him stop and look down at the floor. Walking up to him, he replaced his hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently.

"You still sure you wanna do this?"

Jack looked up at him and spread his lips thinly. "It's not really a choice. What you said to me this morning got me thinking: what if he's been doing this to other people? I guess I have to stop him now"

"What are you going to do?"

Jack sighed, "What you said. I'm gonna tell him to leave"

Bunny smirked at him, but it wasn't his usual knowing, condescending smirk. This time it was understanding and friendly and within it Jack found the comfort and courage he needed.

"Whenever you're ready then…"

Jack stood there for a moment and stared down the hall. It seemed longer and darker than he remembered and suddenly he felt much smaller than he had when he'd started his procession. He had to do this, but how could he possibly face that man after what he'd done – or rather tried to do?

Bunny saw the conflict that practically shone from within him and gently coaxed him in the other direction after a few moments more of frozen indecision.

"Come on. Come sit in my office for a bit"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You have an office?"

"Sure. I am a conductor"

"Guest conductor"

"I still get an office"

"And why am I the last to know?"

"What? And have you hanging around all the time, going through my stuff and making a mess? Yeah, right!"

"Ugh!" Jack pouted cheerily as he followed him in. It was nice to be distracted even if he was conscious of it. Once inside, Bunny lifted him up and sat him on the edge of his desk before pulling him close and hugging him. Having someone to cling to at a time like this made things so much better. Not that it was new to him since he had always had Tooth in the past. Having someone so much bigger, tougher and warmer than himself though made him somehow feel all the more protected and shielded from the fear that hounded him at that moment and it amazed Jack that he could always find comfort and shelter in those arms. Something about when Bunny wrapped him up was just so magical that it blocked out the world's troubles and it seemed for the whole time that it lasted that there was nothing to worry about in life whatsoever.

A little while later, Bunny felt Jack stir in his grasp and stepped back to meet his eyes. With a gentle nod, Jack slipped off the edge of the desk and made his way towards the door again with Bunny in tow and made a right to head the way he had found so difficult earlier.

Going along the hall was no easier than it had been before and Jack found it hard to keeping putting one foot in front of the other. He had to do this though. He couldn't let fear overcome him now. Feeling Bunny catch up to him instilled him with a sense of security and as the distance to travel dwindled down to nothing, Jack found himself standing outside Pitch's office simply staring at the door in front of him. All of a sudden he was extremely conscious that this was his very last chance to run and he figured he would do just that any second if he let his guard down. Pushing open that door would mean no turning back and he just didn't know what to do. It wasn't so much what he had to do that got to him, it was simply facing Pitch to do it. Seeing him again wasn't going to be easy and Jack just didn't know what was going to happen when he laid eyes on him. Would he bolt? Would he explode? He didn't know. All he did know was that he was scared and that was just what Pitch would want. Were it not for the anger that he had to work to maintain, he probably would have fled.

Turning his eyes to Bunny, the taller man just gave him a steadying smile and a nod. Jack didn't know if that's all he needed at that moment. What he knew he could use was a push but then again maybe encouragement was all that was realistically required.

After a few moments more, he closed his eyes and shook his head, "_Okay, enough of this!" _he told himself and raised his hand to throw open the door as usual. Something stopped him just as he was about to connect with the wood though and as he held his breath he found he just couldn't barge in like any other day. Instead, with the release of his held breath, he simply knocked and waited nervously for a reply.

On the other side, a deranged "What?!" emanated through the door and so, with gritted Teeth, Jack shakily turned the doorknob and pushed forward.

The door opened to reveal Pitch sitting at his desk with an even more ashen than usual look to him. As he tilted his head up, Jack and Bunny noticed a rather swollen nose on his face which became fraught with disgust and rage as he saw who had come to invade his hung over solitude. Pushing himself up slowly, he kept his eyes on Jack as he did so and managed, as always, to loom over him even from across the room and made him feel impossibly intimidated. Nervously, Jack reached up to fiddle with the cords on his hoodie and forced himself not to lose the terrifying man's gaze as he stared him down.

"Well, well, well…" Pitch said in his corrosive yet amazingly smooth voice. "Little Jack Frost and his snuggle Bunny come to face the music. I was wondering when you might show up…or if you would at all"

Jack tried to speak. Nothing came out though. He really wished he could remember any of the things he had planned that morning to say to this bastard but he just couldn't think of a single one and Pitch could tell. He could see the effect he had on this boy and he wasn't about to let it pass.

"A little tongue-tied, Jack?" he said as he gained a sickly smile, "I find that hard to believe. Or perhaps your tongue is a little fatigued. After all, a whole night has gone by since we last met and I'm sure I can safely say it has been well-used"

That made Jack angrier but not nearly as much as it seemed to infuriate Bunny who stepped up.

"Don't you dare! You have nothing like that to say to him!"

"Or what, Aster?" Pitch asked with a sarcastically weary expression.

"Or I'll be happy to knock you into next week again!"

"Ah, yes. It seems it's always been those that lack brains more than make up for it with brawn. You're a shining example, wouldn't you say?"

"You wanna go right now, you pommy bastard?!"

"I'd rather not. And I'd expect you'd rather not give me any more reason to go to the police."

"You go to the police?! And what about Jack, eh?! Or do you not remember what you tried to do to him?"

"What I remember…" Pitch said as he turned and walked over to the window. He looked out for a second before half turning his head back with a sly smile and carrying on, "…is pulling Jack aside for a private word and you following us in to attack me for no reason. Perhaps out of unfounded jealousy due to your sordid lust for one another…but who really knows?"

"Oh, no you don't you slimy wanker! You know what you did!"

"But will anyone believe you?" he said as he looked Bunny square in the eye and then turned to Jack whom he could see knew he was right. He could see he had won and he was so pleased with himself he nearly burst out laughing. He was clever though and he knew he shouldn't push it and so he carried on in the hope of covering his indiscretion for good. "Perhaps though, we can come to some sort of arrangement"

"No deal, Pitch!"

"Do you really need to fight Jack's battles for him, Aster?"

"I will if he needs me to"

"And does he?" Pitch asked before turning to Jack with that same intimidating stare. "Do you?"

Jack gulped and took a slow breath. He was angry with himself for not being braver. Sure, it was nice to have Bunny looking after him but he had to do this himself. He couldn't allow Pitch to get on top of him forever.

Lifting his head up, he stared back at Pitch as fiercely as he could manage.

"So what do you propose?"

Pitch smiled sickeningly, "Well, I suspect you're rather tired of running around after me, aren't you?"

"How did you guess?"

"Well, to be frank, I'm rather tired of you doing a sub-par job. Now, I could call it off and see you out the door in a heartbeat but I think I'll have mercy"

"You'll have mercy?! YOU'LL have mercy?!" Bunny fumed.

"I think so. I'll release you from our little arrangement, Jack, and let you go back to the way things were"

Jack was flabbergasted. Did he really think he was going to get away with doing this? How dare he turn this around on him?!

"And what about you trying to get me to…to…you know…"

"No, Jack, I don't know"

"You know exactly what he's talking about!" Bunny growled

"I have no memory of the event in question"

"The hell you don't!" Bunny shouted. "You think you can get away with this?!"

"Get away with what, Aster?" Pitch said slyly before turning back to Jack and grinning. "Take it or leave it, Jack"

Jack just stood there breathing heavily. He was so mad with Pitch for even trying to make a deal and he felt so degraded by the whole ordeal that he just couldn't contain his rage anymore. He had come here to get Pitch out of his life for good, not to make some arrangement whereby they could forget about everything.

With a determined glare, he looked Pitch up and down and then simply said, "No deal" before turning and going for the door.

"Fine. Then I'll reveal your little escapade in the practice room and see you're out of here before you know what's hit you. Of course, I may have to embellish a few things but I don't think that would be a problem"

"You wouldn't dare!" Bunny said as he towered over Pitch fiercely.

"Oh, wouldn't I?" he said before grinning evilly and beginning to laugh.

Jack bared his teeth as he felt rage begin to blaze within him. This was the final straw and he couldn't believe how angry this dastardly man had made him. He was utterly livid about him daring to offer him the same old life they'd had before and that was no kind of justice after Pitch had tried to rape him. Immediately his fear began to burn up in the inferno that now raged within and in a second he ripped open the door and began to storm down the hall furiously. A moment or two later, Bunny caught up with him and tried to ask him what was going on and attempted to calm him down as he saw him almost spit with anger. Try as he might though, there was no stopping Jack now as he marched onwards and the fact that he didn't say a word made Bunny all the more nervous and excited at the same time. There was something so incredibly enticing about Jack when he was mad and to watch him storm so confidently onward was a delightful sight for him to behold.

Turning another corner, he stomped past a few doors and then paused outside one he had never thought he'd arrive at for this reason. He gritted his teeth again as he hammered three times before trying to calm himself down. Bunny didn't know what to do as he saw his Jack fume at the door of whose office this was and began to boggle as he wondered whether Jack was really going to do what he thought.

Upon hearing a call from the other side, Jack threw open the door, stepped in and then closed it firmly behind him. Bunny was left alone in the hall looking rather sheepish and it only took a few seconds for him to press his ear against the wood and listen intently to the words that were about to be uttered on the other side.

_Downstairs…_

Tooth flittered about and jabbered quickly to member after member of her section and soon began to break into others. Having seen and heard nothing from either Jack or Bunny this morning made her worry due to the previous evening's unfortunate events and as she tried not to she couldn't help but prattle on and on to anyone about anything.

It wasn't long until the rehearsal was late starting and as the minutes continued to tick by people began to wonder where on earth their conductor was. Consistent with the recent gossip, it came as no surprise to any of them that Jack was missing too and it was that morning that the idea of Jack and Bunny being a thing became the big current question as they gabbed to one another. Many of them had never suspected Bunny of being gay and it wasn't long, once the chitchat had marinated for a little while, that questions began to work their way to Tooth who was soon surrounded by inquisitive players.

"How would I know if they're…they're a…" Tooth began to answer when the question was put to her and then let her response peter out as she took in the expressions of those around her which clearly showed that they weren't buying it. Suddenly feeling cornered, she did her best to redirect the conversation but it was no use. She had no way out of their without giving them some kind of conversational titbit and she really didn't know what she was going to say.

The more she internally begged for Jack and Bunny to appear did not seem to have any effect and as the tension grew she quickly excused herself from her eager colleagues and flew out of the door in search of her lover boys.

_Back upstairs…_

Jack stood silently waiting for words to enter his mind which he could hopefully string together into some kind of comprehendible order. He really wished he'd taken the time to think this through and now that he was here he regretted coming in so angrily and so unprepared.

"Jack! What can I do for you?" came a strong, Russian voice as its owner got up from behind his desk.

Jack watched as North stood and beckoned him towards the chair that sat in front of his desk. Delicately he made his way towards it and sat down wishing for nothing more than for the door to fly open and suck him out as if a tornado were right outside. He couldn't believe he was about to do reveal to North the secret that had held him in chains for so long and as the gravity of its revelation began to dawn on him he began to feel more anxious than he ever had in his life. The fact that this revelation could devastate his entire future was more than enough to make him want to pee himself with fear and he wondered as the seconds ticked by if bearing Pitch's malicious accord was but a small price to pay in order to keep his job and pretend as if nothing had ever happened.

No. Surely not. This was the right thing to do, right? Even if it did mean he was putting his career on the line it meant he was doing what was morally right. It had to be. He just couldn't allow Pitch to do what he assumed he was going to get away with. Whether or not it was right for him to be risking his job it had to be right that he was making Pitch accountable for trying to rape him.

Even now that word 'rape' made him feel so incredibly vile. He couldn't believe that it had very nearly happened to him and he was so glad Bunny had come in when he had. What if he hadn't? What would he have done? He didn't want to think about it. Bunny had arrived to save him and that was all that mattered. Even if he did lose his job he'd still have him, right? Sure, he'd only been Bunny's boyfriend for a little while but the lead up to it had surely counted for something. They were properly involved now, or at least he assumed they were. They had to be. For Christ sake, they had slept together several times! That had to mean they were something more than each other's new fling. It just had to.

North raised his eyebrows as he watched Jack flinch and quiver in front of him and very nearly began to wonder if the poor boy was having a stroke. He did not look right in any way as he sat there and he knew this player he'd had such a great deal of faith in previously was not behaving as he usually did. Something was definitely amiss and he knew he had to find out what it was before the boy went into meltdown, upon the brink of which it seemed he was teetering.

"Jack, what is wrong? You look horrible"

Jack looked up at the big man from his slightly hunched posture and wanted to bounce the comment back at him like he usually would. They had always had a fun relationship before and even though they were boss and employee they were still able to laugh together. Much in the same way as he was able to laugh with everyone he came into contact with.

Still, now everything was different and it was completely humiliating to have to tell North what he now opened his mouth to say.

"I…I have to tell you something"

North moved around to the other side of his desk and rested against the edge as he looked upon the downtrodden boy before him. It was not a happy sight.

"Okay. Is it hard?"

Jack nodded meekly, "Yeah. And I'm really nervous"

"Why are you nervous?"

"Because…because I think I could be risking getting fired by telling you"

North steadied himself and sighed. "Are you sure you want to tell me then?"

Jack nodded again. "I have to"

"Okay, well, take your time and we'll see how it goes"

"Okay…" Jack said before looking down even further and fighting to still his quivering jaw. "I…A few weeks ago…I…"

"Yes…?" North said as he bent down to Jack's level.

"I had sex with Bunny" Jack almost blurted all of a sudden.

North's eyes widened at the sudden admission and then raised his hand to his mouth to clear his throat.

"Um…okay" he said a little shocked. He hadn't expected Jack to come in here and tell him that - not in a million years.

Jack looked up after receiving his response followed by a long silence. He didn't know whether to confirm his fears or wonder why he wasn't being berated. He figured he needed to clarify.

"In a practice room down the hall"

"…Okay" North said as he turned away and moved behind his desk again and making Jack feel all the more nervous.

"Up against the window"

North closed his eyes and raised his hands. "I do not need to know details"

Jack just watched as he replaced his hands on the chair's arms and then looked at him with a mixed look of discomfort and bafflement. Another long silence followed and Jack couldn't help but feel the weight of it begin to crush him.

"So…what do you say?" he eventually managed to squeeze out.

North just looked from side to side briefly. "What do you want me to say…good job?"

"Huh?" Jack mumbled as he looked up at the man in front of him.

"Is that what you came to tell me?"

"Uh…yeah"

"Okay, I must ask you…why?"

Jack puzzled for a second, "Aren't you gonna…you know…fire me?"

"Fire you?" North said in a booming voice. "Why would I fire you?"

"Because I…you know…in this building…against the window…where everyone could see…in broad daylight…well, evening light"

North suddenly let out a loud, raucous laugh and pushed himself up again before moving around to Jack.

"You think you are first person to do…what is it they say here? Do nasty on company property?"

"What?" was all Jack could say.

"Jack! You are employed in creative arts! Everyone is crawling all over everybody else! Well, not myself but I think you get picture!"

"What?!" Jack said now aghast.

North simply laughed again, "And you were thinking you would be fired for doing it? Hahaha! Jack, of course we prefer you not to be doing that around here but we will not fire you for it. If nobody knew about it then why on earth did you think you had to tell me?"

Straight away Jack was back in the clutches of anxiety again. With a gulp he pressed on. "Because somebody did know"

"What? Who?"

"Pitch saw us"

"Ahh…" North said knowingly. "And I bet he used it against you, no?"

Jack perked up, "Yeah, he did. How did you…?"

"Because this is not first time we have had complaints of him blackmailing people into doing his dirty work"

"It's not?!" Jack said disbelievingly. That dirty bastard!

"No. But we never have enough proof and he never really does anything bad enough to need action so it never really goes very far. Tell me, did he have you run his errands and do chores?" North asked with a chuckle.

"For the most part, yeah"

"For the most part? There was more"

Jack nodded as he looked down to the floor again and bit his lip tentatively as he tried not to let the memory of what had happened the night before overwhelm him. North watched as Jack seemed to visibly deflate in his seat and knew straight away that whatever he had to say was hard. He wouldn't put anything past Pitch when he decided to get nasty and could tell without having to hear it that this time he had done something terrible. Stepping towards Jack, he bent down to his eye line and placed a hand on his back.

"Jack? What is it?" he asked caringly.

Jack took a sharp breath as he bit back the tears that wanted to stream down his cheeks which North now noticed were bruised. In an instant he connected Pitch with their creation and began to feel anger bubble in his belly as he wondered how on earth he had gone so far as to do that.

Jack sighed, the strain in his voice evident as he exhaled and he closed his eyes as he forced himself to squeeze out the words which he hated to admit.

"Pitch…last night at the mixer he…he pulled me into the storage room downstairs and…he…he…"

"He hit you?"

Jack nodded. "But only after I said no to…" He sniffed emotionally as he paused. "…to when he tried to…"

He just couldn't say it. It was so horrible and he felt so ashamed. How could it be that even though he was the victim here he was the one that was humiliated by it all? Why had he been so degraded at the hands of that evil, disgusting man and why was it so hard now to admit what he'd tried to do? It was just too embarrassing to reveal that he had very nearly been the victim of rape and to have to say it North was just impossible. He respected him and he didn't want him to think of him as the boy that was nearly violated. It just wasn't right.

"I'm sorry! Forget it!" he said quickly before bolting up and heading for the door.

"Jack! Wait!" North said as he went after him but already the door was open. Jack stopped as he was confronted with the hunched forms of both Bunny and Tooth and figured they must have been listening in. In an instant they straightened up and stepped towards him to block his exit.

"Jacky" Bunny said lovingly as he placed his hands on him, "It's okay. Just tell him"

"He's right, Jack. Do it" Tooth said as she too placed a hand on him.

Jack just drew in his lips and shook his head as he flicked his eyes down and stepped close to the pair of them before pulling them around him for support. He stood there for a good few long moments as he once again searched for the courage he needed and as he pressed his face against Bunny's shoulder to wipe away the few escaped tears in order to hide them from North, so too did he feel Bunny reach down to kiss the top of his head and stroke his hair.

"Come on, Jack. Just get it over with. Think of what's at stake here"

Jack looked up at him and smiled weakly as he saw the care in his eyes. How could they have come from outright mockery of one another to immeasurable affection in such a short time?

With a refreshing breath, Jack pulled himself away and turned back to North slowly. Making sure not to let go of Bunny's hand, he straightened himself up, fixed his sights on the big man in front of him and gritted his teeth before speaking.

"Last night…Pitch tried to rape me"

North's eyes widened as the words left Jack's mouth and after they'd had a moment to sink in he looked around in disbelief and rested against his desk again for support.

"You two saw this?" he asked Jack's companions.

"I was there when he pulled Jack away and I watched them go into the room" Tooth said gravely, "I was worried and so I went to grab Bunny right away"

"I went straight there and went in just in time to see him hit Jack and knock him over. He had his pants down"

North swallowed hard and shook his head gently. "This is…huge problem…"

"You're telling me" Bunny said as he placed an arm around Jack and kissed his head again before whispering "Well done" into his ear.

"He can't stay" Tooth piped up. "He's gotta go, North"

"Yes…yes, of course…but I think police should know about this" the bigger man said quietly in his slightly dazed state.

"I don't know if would do any good" Jack managed to say, "It's my word against his"

"And ours" Tooth said as he reached out to pat him.

"And plenty others" North suddenly said as he went around to the other side of the desk.

Jack look startled. "You mean he's tried to do this before?!"

"We think so" North said as he picked up the phone and began to dial. "There is someone who's seen many players come and go because of Pitch and I think he too would be glad to see him gone"

"Who's that?" Jack asked as he watched North intently but then got his answer as the person on the other end of the phone picked and North spoke.

"Sandy? It is me. I need you to come in"

The three of them, Jack, Bunny and Tooth, listened closely for the response on the line but heard nothing of the supposed reply North received. The big man's next words were enough to give them closure.

"That's right, my friend. The time has come to kick Pitch Black out of here for good"

**Ooooh! Some shit's goin' down now! Poor lil Jack being all scared about losing his job and feeling ashamed for having to tell North what happened. It's hard when you're usually tough enough to take anything but then get overcome by something harder than you can bear. I guess everyone's still human ion the inside.**

**Thanks again for your reviews and follows. Keep 'em coming my lovelies. Only a couple of chapters to go now so get in while the goings good! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Hey, y'all! Thanks for all you lovely reviews!**

**Nothing to garble on about before we start this one so let's get going! Just sorry it took a few extra days to get out.**

**So, without further ado, jackrabbit!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 18**

After about forty-five minutes – or maybe it was longer - Jack began to wonder as he sat leaning against Bunny's chest, who was running the rehearsal downstairs. Normally if there were no conductor to look after them it would be the concertmaster's job to lead them but he was rather thankful he didn't have to get up there in front of all of them and flail about ungracefully. He figured someone must have gone to take care of things though considering their regular conductor was currently detained by him and to be honest he didn't care. He needed Bunny's comfort right now since he knew things were happening around him and he was highly aware that he could unknowingly be in for nasty surprise any minute. The waiting had quickly set in after North had finished his call with Sandy and now as he sat with Bunny in his office doing just that, he wondered when this was all going to be over and he could put all this grief behind him. He was so sick of feeling worried and unhappy. He just wanted some light in his life and sitting there with Bunny seemed like the best place to find that at the moment.

From what he could tell, North had drawn the other managers together – excluding Pitch, of course – and was now laying out what had happened before them. Jack wouldn't have cared all that much to stay had he been invited to and above all he just wished he could be downstairs playing. It seemed as if it had been so long since he could just come into work and do what he loved to do and he felt sort of cheated that his short tenure as concertmaster had been overshadowed by fear and worry. He loved his job and he considered himself so lucky to do what he loved to do for a living and, bar being cuddled up with Bunny as he was now, that's all he wanted to do. After all, sitting amongst the other players was always a place he could escape from the world's troubles and just enjoy himself. It had always been that way for him and it was strange to realise how much he yearned to be there now.

Still, conflicted feelings aside, it was nice to be cuddling Bunny. How fortunate it was that he only had one other chair in his office and had ended up sitting on top of him as he held him close. In this position he laid his head against Bunny's neck under his chin and nuzzled gently at his skin which was clearly showing well-established five o'clock shadow. It looked pretty good on him and gave him a more rugged look that was very much at home. Of course, it grazed against his own lily-white, baby-soft skin but he didn't really mind. Just to be here was a blessing, especially considering they'd only been on a couple of dates – and hell, the second one wasn't even official. He lamented the fact he'd been such a sad sack recently and he desperately hoped Bunny did think of him as such.

Well, no more. From now on he'd show him the real, fun-time Jack that he knew he had been failing to represent.

"Bunny?" he said softly without looking up.

"Yeah?"

"I haven't been…well, what I mean is...we've been going out pretty much since the same time Pitch started all this business"

"Okay…?"

"Well, I haven't been as fun as I should have been. Usually I'm much more fun to be with"

"Aw, Jacky. You are fun to be around"

"But recently I've been tired and moody and…well, that's not me. Not at all. I just want you to know that things are gonna get better"

"Well, they haven't been bad" Bunny said as he nuzzled into Jack's hair.

"Well, all I know is I haven't been the guy I usually am and I want you to know I'm gonna be the real me from now on. And the real me is so much better"

"Is it really?" Bunny chuckled.

"Yeah. And you should probably know you won't really be able to get rid of me. I'm gonna be spending a lot more time with you"

"Well, I can certainly get along with that" he said with a smile as he turned Jack's head to face his. Slowly, he reached forward and kissed those sweet, rosy lips that stood out so vibrantly against Jack's skin. Taking care not to make him wince again, he delicately reached a hand up and stroked his cheek with his fingertips and in that silent, amorous moment he seemed to feel a whole lot of tension that had been built up in his boyfriend disappear.

When they parted, the warm glow that surrounded them was suddenly halted when the phone rang on Bunny's desk. Carefully pushing himself around Jack, Bunny got up from the chair they shared and went to answer. Jack waited patiently as he listened to the unrevealing "Yeahs" and "Okays" Bunny said into the handset and then sat up expectantly as Bunny placed it back down. Turning to him, he reached out his hands for Jack to take and pulled him to his feet.

"They need you to go tell it in your own words"

Jack groaned, "Again?"

"They can't hear it from anyone else and have anything solid to go on. Apparently they've heard Sandy confirm all the stories from before but they need something a little more definite to go on"

"And that's what Pitch did to me, huh?"

"I guess so" Bunny said before hugging him and carrying on, "You gonna be alright?"

"Yeah. Telling North was the hardest part. I don't really care about telling them"

"North means more to you, eh?"

"Yeah. He's always been so supportive and…fatherly I guess"

"Haha. Yeah, he seems to be the type"

"Okay, let's do this" Jack said as he pulled away from Bunny and turned for the door. Bunny simply followed on as he made his way down the hall and then closed the door behind him as he followed Jack back into North's office.

It seemed he had been right in saying that he didn't have a problem with telling the other managers what had happened and it almost seemed as if he were a little too frank in telling them how Pitch had cornered him and knocked him six ways from Sunday. Almost as quickly as it began, a few pictures were taken of his bruises and it was over and Jack and Bunny were left waiting for the verdict.

"So, Jack" North began as he stepped towards him, "We have come to a decision about Pitch. Only question that remains is how far you want to take this"

Jack looked around at the faces pointed at him a little unsurely. "Well, what are you going to do?"

"Pitch is going to go, that much is certain"

"Okay, good" he responded feeling a little more sure of himself.

"But we are wondering if you want to take this up with the police?"

"Well, I think so" Bunny said as he stepped forward and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "I mean, look at those marks. That's gotta be worth a lawsuit, right?"

"Jack?" North said as he too reached for him.

Jack thought for a second and found he wasn't really sure. He hated Pitch more than ever but did he have a strong enough case to have him convicted?

"Do you really think I can get the police to believe me?" he eventually said a little nervously.

"Well, there is the problem. It is not the police we must worry about, it is the court. There's no knowing if jury will convict him since it is your word against his"

"And a whole bunch of testimonial!" Bunny piped up, "Are you seriously saying we shouldn't try to get him locked up?!"

Jack tried to keep a clear head. "Are you saying there's a good chance he'll get off scot-free?"

"Possibly" North said begrudgingly, "Unless there's evidence"

"And what about those?" Bunny said as he pointed to Jack's face, "I saw him do it"

"That's right, he did" said Jack.

"But in court they will say you have vested interest"

"Vested interest?! I can't believe this!" Bunny said frustratedly, "So are we just gonna leave it and let him go?"

"Well, as I said, it is down to Jack" the big man said looking down at him. Jack didn't know what to do. He really didn't want to have to go through the whole mess of criminal proceedings that might follow if he were to make a report. Then again, was it really right to let Pitch get away with it? Although, he wouldn't really be getting away with it, would he? He was being fired after all and would probably not be given any good recommendation. He'd probably have to go far away before he could get another job and that filled Jack with some kind of assurance that justice would be served. To be honest though, the only thing he could really think of that would serve proper justice would be to let Bunny rip him to pieces but that would most likely come back to bite him. With a sigh, he made his decision and looked up at North to proclaim it.

"Just get him out of here. I don't want to have to see him again"

"What about the police, Jack?"

"Threaten him with it. If anything it'll make sure he goes without a fuss"

"Jack, are you bloody serious?!" he heard Bunny say as he turned him around. Jack just gave him a solemn look.

"Look, let's just get rid of him. Then everything can go back to normal and we won't have to go to court or anything like that. Let's just get him out"

"But Jack, he has to pay"

"And he will with his job, right?" Jack asked as he looked back to North.

"No question"

"There you are then. By Monday he'll be gone and we can forget about the whole thing"

"Jack…" Bunny said almost painfully, "…are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

Jack looked down briefly and then back up. "No. But it's the right thing for now. I just wanna get him away from here so I can do my job and enjoy it. And be with you."

Bunny gave him a soft smile and then nodded gently after a few moments.

"Well, I don't wanna force you into anything"

"Thanks"

"I still don't think it's right though"

"I know. But for now, let's just play it safe."

"Fine" Bunny said as he hugged him again. When they parted, Jack turned back and simply said,

"Are we finished?"

"Yes, thank you, Jack." North said warmly and without waiting, Jack pulled Bunny out of the room and away from the managers as they continued to discuss the situation. Out in the hall, Jack pulled Bunny around a few corners before stopping abruptly and spinning so they bumped into each other. Wrapping his arms around his man, Jack pulled his head down to his level and kissed him hard on the lips before parting with an impish smile.

"So. Been going out for five minutes and already I'm a grumpy, snapping wreck that needs to be dragged through a crisis. Don't think I've got too much baggage, do ya?"

Bunny chuckled through his nose. "Well, I figured someone as cute as you had to be majorly messed up on the inside"

"Gonna toss me out with the garbage then?"

Bunny blinked slowly as he held his smirk and then simply leaned down once more to kiss him.

"Not on your life"

Slowly they made their way down to the studio and neither one of them expected what was waiting for them. As they pushed open the door, all eyes turned to them and gawped silently at the pair as they stood frozen holding one another's hands. It seemed as if no one had come to lead them after all and as much as could be expected with that morning's gossip theme, the answers they had been looking for were provided in the image they were presented with then.

Staring in silence for a few moments, Jack quickly decided he'd been through more than enough emotional turmoil for one day. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Bunny and grabbed his collar before saying, "C'mere" and planting a big, wet kiss on him. Pushing him off, he turned back to the orchestra and asking "Happy now?"

His response was a chorus of laughter and wolf whistles that surprisingly did not make him turn red for once. With joyful abandon, he proceeded to skip over to his seat, pull out his violin as the rest of the orchestra found their places and sat ready as Bunny stood at the front looking rather embarrassed over what had just happened.

As Bunny readied himself to make use of what little rehearsal time they had left, Jack stopped him just as he was about to talk to them and then turned to rest on his knees facing backwards on his chair to address his section.

"Guys. I know you all think I've been sucking up in the past couple of weeks but I swear it's not my fault. Sure, me and Bunny may now be messing around inside each other's underwear…" a small rumble of laughter emanated from around him as he paused, "…but I'm not getting any special treatment. Right, Mr. Bunnymund?"

"Right" he replied

"See? Everything is still the same and I really hope you guys don't hate me. I didn't mean to be all high and mighty if that's what you think so…sorry if I made look that way. I'm the same guy I always was, you'll see"

With that, he smiled and turned back around. He didn't know if his admission would help his reputation at all but at least he managed to say what was necessary to all of them at the same time and they had listened. Maybe in time things would get better. At least he hoped they would. That didn't matter right now though. What did matter, as he sat there and began to play, was that things felt right again and for the first time in weeks he actually felt like the same old playful, fun guy he had always been. He had a great boyfriend and a great job and to be allowed to be himself again was all that he wanted. Everything was coming up roses and his happiness just grew and grew as he played on.

Later on, as it was getting closer to letting out time, things seemed to be feeling pretty good for Jack. They hadn't really had time to do any of the characteristic stopping and starting that usually came with rehearsals and as such had simply played through the pieces they had recently been practicing. For Jack, it was so nice just to play through for once. It made him feel free and artistic and since he felt so liberated the proper form and passion required of a concertmaster just seemed to flow from him. Sandy had been watching them for a while now after coming to see them having been called in by North and his presence seemed to make everyone perk up quite a lot. Jack had felt a little uneasy when he'd first appeared but there was something about the man that quickly allayed all of his worries and made him feel remarkably good about himself. The looks of praise the smaller man gave him when he looked over were incredibly reassuring and it was so nice to know he was proud of him. Jack had never thought he'd be able to live up to Sandy's role but to see him looking so pleased filled Jack with joy. Everything seemed to be turning around now that his binds had been cut and the feeling of freedom was greater than he had ever imagined it might be.

Just before lunch was when things came to their final crescendo of the recent series of distasteful events. As the clock hit 12:25PM, the orchestra was just finishing the final few bars of Mercury from The Planets and Jack, along with the rest of the strings, was holding his last, extended harmonic as the piece came to its close. It was a quiet moment and the whole room was still as the seconds counted down and as everyone waited patiently for it to end, they were all suddenly startled by a colossal bang that echoed around the room as the door was thrown open. All eyes turned to see a livid Pitch storm in and straight away the atmosphere soured. He looked so immensely angry that it almost appeared as if a raging storm followed him in his wake. As soon as the music stopped and Jack turned to look, he jumped up and stepped towards Bunny nervously as the clearly now jobless man locked his fiery eyes on him and glared with such rage that Jack thought his skin should have seared off. As he began to storm over, Jack began to panic as he wondered what he was going to do and knew that there was no reason he would need to hold back anymore. Backing into Bunny, he felt his hands land on him and hold on firmly as they awaited whatever Pitch had in store and trying not to drop his violin, he fixed Pitch with the blankest expression he could muster.

"Do you think you've won, Frost?!" Pitch spat as he stomped forward. "Do you dare to think that you've got the upper hand?!"

Jack gulped as he forced his face to remain strong and steely and desperately tried to reawaken the courage he had used earlier to confront him the first time.

"Just leave me alone, Pitch" he managed to say quietly but firmly. He was still afraid of him but it was neither as strong nor in the same manner as before. Somehow it was easier to stand his ground, although to be fair he did have Bunny behind him giving him strength.

"Oh, this isn't over, you dirty little whore!" Pitch spat. "You just go on being that moron's slut for now! I've been here for a long time and you can mark my words when I say I know how I'm going to make you pay! You will not win, you dirty, talentless little freak! I will see you crushed into the dust for this!"

Jack felt Bunny getting ready to defend him again and almost protested at the tightness of his fingers as they dug through his hoodie. Turning around, he interrupted Bunny as he was clearly just about to retaliate and thrust his violin at him before turning back and squaring up with the man before him. With a deep, powerful breath, he fixed Pitch with the fiercest look he could manage and growled at him in return.

"You can't get away with trying to rape someone and get away with it, you dick! Now get the fuck out of here before I knock the shit out of you! Just like you did to me yesterday at the member's party!"

Several gasps emanated from the orchestra as the truth came to light and Jack watched as they distracted Pitch from his determined, hell-bent quest for revenge. Turning to them, he could see the shock and disgust seeping in as they learned of his actions and suddenly knew he had to get out lest they decide to gang up. Glaring at them, he began to back away.

"Don't be too pleased with yourselves. You haven't seen the last of me. Although perhaps it's a blessing that I'm relieved of working with you slacking, over-hyped arseholes for now! To hell with all of you!"

With that he was gone. Disappearing out of the door, that was the last most of the players saw of Pitch as an employee of the West Penn Philharmonic and to be honest, his leaving came with a breath of fresh air and relief. Turning back to his stunned colleagues, Jack felt a little pang of embarrassment arise from their staring eyes but it was muted by the empathy that flowed from most. With a shrug to them, he turned to Bunny and said with a smile "He's gone"

"Well done, Jacky" he said as he stepped forward to hug him.

The rehearsal ended there and before even a minute had gone by everyone was set atwitter by the news of Pitch's dismissal. Needless to say, Jack and Bunny were swamped for details and not wishing to disappoint Jack gave them what they wanted – albeit less explicitly. They all seemed to be satisfied with his little story and it was surprising to see just how many congratulations he got for getting Pitch fired. Not that he had ever really had that intention but it was nice to know they all supported him through what had happened. It seemed perhaps that maybe he wasn't such an ass in their eyes after all and he even got to a point when he was able to laugh with them again. It still hurt his cheeks to smile but he didn't care. To feel accepted was extremely gratifying and when he was finally able to get away, he moved towards Bunny and Tooth who were waiting patiently for him to finish soaking up the glory surrounding him.

"Look who's Mr. Popular again" Bunny said with his characteristic smirk.

"Well done, Jack" said Tooth as she wrapped him up in her arms

"For what?" he said with a smaller, less painful smile than before.

"For ending it. I mean, you're still stupid for letting him do everything he did in the first place but well done for having the sense to make it stop"

"Well, I don't think it was my sense" he said turning to Bunny. "Thanks, Bun Bun"

"Hey! If I can't call you Jacky, you can't call me Bun Bun"

"But you do call me Jacky"

"Yeah, well, that's different" he said as he placed an arm around each of them and began to coax them towards the door.

"So what are you two gonna do now?" Tooth asked as she reciprocated with an arm around Bunny's waist.

"Maybe we should celebrate" Jack suggested

"What? Pitch getting fired?"

"No, that would be mean. Although we probably should to be honest"

"Yeah"

"But, instead of that, I guess…a fresh start?"

"Already?" Bunny asked. "Things aren't that bad?"

"No, but you know. Now there's nothing in the way of…us having fun"

"Okay, sure."

The three of them chatted and laughed jovially as they made their way down the hall and as they passed through the outside doors and into the surprisingly bright light, things simply seemed good. Little did they know that good would soon become excellent, but that was for the months that followed to reveal.

_The next few months…_

When March rolled around, it was time for Swan Lake to have its opening night. The first night, Jack was extremely nervous about being featured and to have his name at the top of the list of players for once was surprisingly exposing. Still, each and every performance went without a hitch and his whole section were extremely supportive as he led them through. By the end of the run, he felt simply amazing and privileged for having been given such an unexpected opportunity and even though his short time as concertmaster drew to a close with Sandy's return on the first day of rehearsals after the ballet, he really felt special for having had the experience. Sandy was extremely congratulatory and grateful for keeping his role up to such a high standard and it felt so nice to have a friend in him. In a way, Sandy's continued support completed Jack's reacceptance with the rest of his section and by the time he went back to his old seat there was no ill-feeling left whatsoever.

Returning to his seat next to Tooth was like coming home and after only a few days Bunny already regretted sending him back there. Constantly giggling to themselves and having fun when they should have been working made it seem as if he were minding children although he couldn't be too mad since he was now fully acquainted with the inside jokes. That, and Jack's naughty but cute and loveable face always made him smile and he couldn't be mad at him for long. They soon returned to their impassioned and rude banter and many a time their heated exchanges kept the whole orchestra laughing. Their involvement quickly became commonplace in the orchestra's dynamic and pretty soon nobody gave them a second thought.

As concerts came and went, things seemed to keep rolling on wonderfully and to Jack and Bunny it seemed as if they were getting closer and closer to one another by the day. When summer came around, it was time to go on tour and making sure to score a room together, it felt to the pair of them as if they were going on a free, romantic vacation in Europe. Travelling around the continent with Bunny and playing in city after city put Jack in a euphoric, floating daze and every day that passed brought with it new affection for his gorgeous, sexy man. Everything was just perfect and it became even better when the fun of tour finally ended and Bunny took him to Rome for a few days after the rest of the orchestra had returned to Pittsburgh. Tooth had been insanely jealous to hear that Jack was getting to go to Italy and he had made sure to flaunt in front of her every chance he got. Arriving there made him completely forget about everything else and as he was swept up in the romance of the beautiful, ancient city he quickly found his affection for Bunny growing into something much more than liking. He didn't know exactly when it happened during their short trip, but as he woke up on the day they were due to go home, Jack turned to Bunny in bed as he slept and simply thought to himself as he gazed upon the man's sleeping face, _"I love you". _

Of course, being Jack Frost, he was not very good or timely at expressing such feelings out loud and it took until about a week later when they were lying on the grass in a park back in Pittsburgh for him to suddenly blurt it out. As usual he had felt like a moron for saying something so important so brashly but Bunny, having come to know Jack so well, had dispelled all of his humiliation in an instant. Taking his face in his hands he had kissed him and simply told him he loved him too and that night Jack could not find himself anywhere but floating about a mile off the ground. There was something so special in those words that he had never even considered before and although he couldn't explain it, to know that he had the greatest, deepest inclination for this man that he called his own was unbelievably reassuring and gave him so much warmth. He didn't know why people said they felt whole when they found that perfect someone since he certainly didn't. In some ways though he just felt as if he had added another part to himself and was, for lack of a more appropriate characterization, something more than he had been. Trying to explain his feelings to Bunny proved fruitless as all he could do was trip over his own words and end up in an unintelligible mess. Still, Bunny had understood what he had tried to say and of course managed to put their shared feeling into a few appropriate sentences. That was just Bunny's way though and just another one of those things Jack love him for – and occasionally hated when it helped him to win arguments.

The way Jack saw it, things only got better from then on. He spent most of his time with Bunny, most days from the moment they woke up together to the moment they fell asleep in each other's arms. It was exactly as Jack had wanted it to be the whole time Pitch had enslaved him and to finally be in that place with Bunny was pure magic that run through his entire body for every waking moment. Things had seemed to go so fast when they finally got a chance at a proper beginning but after they'd been through a spring and a summer together, it seemed that everything was where it was supposed to be. Life was simply right and whenever he thought about it, it filled him to the brim with that warm, all-encompassing reminder that he really did have everything.

As all good things do though, natural law seemed to inevitably push the pair of them along to the day when the beginning of the end was signalled. For Jack and Bunny, it took until the beginning of October when the summer was in its final few days of dying and the leaves were taking on their beautiful shades of orange and red. It started lightly at first, with Jack noticing Bunny's usual boldness become slightly muted. As the next couple of weeks passed he became more reserved and quieter than Jack was used to and it was at some point then that Jack knew something was up. Still, he never figured it would be as bad as what he was to hear of in the week leading up to Halloween.

_The last week of October…_

On one fateful Sunday afternoon, Jack found himself walking in the park with Bunny by his side and a strange kind of whimsical smile on his face at his fascination with his own attire. Somehow Bunny had gotten him to wear a coat and scarf and it felt weird to be kept so warm as it got colder. Bunny, of course, was wrapped up far more than he was and it was funny to see him looking so cold even then in October long before the winter set in. Jack figured it must have been the Australian blood in him and as he watched him huddle in on himself he chuckled and took his hand in his. The tables had really turned from when they had been in Rome together where Bunny had been right at home in the baking heat and he himself had nearly burst into flames. In a way it was pretty funny to see him so out of place in the cold.

He never supposed his closed-natured, muteness might be due to anything like what was to come and, being blind to the looming revelation Bunny held for the right moment - if indeed there was one - he merrily skipped along at Bunny's side and chatted to him chirpily in an effort to distract him from the supposed cold.

"Ya know, we can get cocoa if you want. I mean, it might be a little far off to Christmas but I'm sure we can find some somewhere. You look like you could use something warm and comforting"

"Hmm" Bunny responded quietly with a clearly forced smile.

Jack just pressed on. "Or, you know, whatever. I guess we could always go somewhere warmer instead. Hard to think you managed to get through last winter without running home to throw another shrimp on the barbie" he said in the worst Australian accent imaginable. Usually his attempt at producing one put Bunny in stitches but not today, such as what could expected with his recent muted demeanour.

Watching Bunny continue to look forward, he finally decided enough was enough. Thinking back to when Pitch had been screwing him around, he remembered how Bunny hadn't wasted any time in trying to talk to him. Maybe that's what he needed now and so, realizing he had to be the one to help Bunny out of his jam, decided not to put off asking him any longer. It was a decision he'd soon regret.

Stopping Bunny on a small hill where several trees hung over them and the slowly setting sun shone across the open grass, Jack turned to his man and put his arms around him. Looking up with a warm and understanding smile, he sighed lightly and looked deep into his troubled green eyes.

"Now look, Bun. What's going on?"

Bunny just sighed and looked down. Whatever it was looked hard.

"I…don't really know how to tell you"

"Well, whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be okay"

Bunny shook his head slowly, "I don't think so. At least, I don't know how just yet"

"Well, maybe I can help" Jack said as he tilted Bunny's head up again, "Two minds are better than one, right?"

With a sigh, Bunny simply brought his hands up to Jack's shoulders and looked down at him sadly. There was no easy way to tell him this and to think of putting him through this kind of stress just seemed unfair. There was no way around it though and he couldn't in all good conscience put this off to the last minute.

Pausing only to steady his breath, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Jack…" he said quietly, "…I…my time here is nearly over"

"W-…What?" Jack said confused and suddenly a little uneasy.

"My contract with the orchestra. It was only ever for a year"

"Oh…" Jack said disappointedly. He assumed he knew what this meant. "Well, is there no way of extending it? Or staying on permanently?"

"I met with the managers a couple of weeks ago to see if it was possible. Turns out it's not"

"But why?"

"They've already got another guest conductor lined up for next year. And the place left by Pitch is taken by the new lady"

"You mean she's permanent?"

"Apparently so"

"But she's a hack compared to you!" Jack groaned as he considered the woman the orchestra had employed to fill Pitch's space. Did they really choose her over Bunny?

"Jack, come on, she's pretty good"

"But not as good as you"

"Well, you're sweet" he said with a gentle smile.

"Well, it's true! Can't they find a place for you at all?"

"No. I did ask and North really tried but…there just isn't space in the budget or something like that. I can't remember what they said exactly but the fact is a contract's a contract and mine's…well…it's not forever"

"Oh…" Jack said glumly as he tried to understand how hard this must have been for Bunny. In his mind, he figured it was going to be a tough couple of months as he tried to find a new job and he never even considered he would say what he did next.

"I'm sorry, Jack"

"Oh, hey. Don't worry. We'll figure this out. Don't worry about a thing, you can live with me until you find something else and if you need to go out of state then so be it. We'll work it out somehow"

Bunny sighed as he saw Jacks encouraging smile and as he looked away for a moment Jack started to realise that what he had assumed wasn't quite on the money.

"Jack" Bunny said when he turned back, "my visa's got a time limit too. It's only good for the time I'm working with West Penn"

Jack was silent for a moment as he let that sink in. Surely he couldn't mean what it sounded like he meant.

"…Huh?" was all he eventually managed to say.

"Jack…I have to go back to Australia"

Time became fluid as those words sunk into his mind. He had to go back to Australia? Did he actually mean what those words signified? There must have been a mistake, after all he couldn't lose Bunny. Not his Aster. The man he loved could not be telling him he was going to leave him!

After a little stuttering and a huge attempt at stilling his now liquid thoughts, he eventually managed to squeeze out a garbled, "What are you…What does this mean?"

With a hard gulp, Bunny confirmed his worst fears.

"It means I can't stay, Jack. I'm leaving at Christmas"

Jack could hardly breathe. It was as if someone had slammed their fist into his chest and then ripped out his heart a moment later. He loved Bunny. How could it possibly be that he was hearing those terrible words from him?

This just wasn't fair.

They belonged to each other.

He needed Bunny.

He loved him.

**I think this may take an extra chapter in addition the original number I had planned in order to make things pan out properly. Ideally there should be a breaking point here to make it flow better but really I wanted to extend this into the next section of the story. Oh well, whatever feels right I guess.**

**Thank you all for your reviews and follows. Sorry to leave you on a twist and I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can so as not to leave you hanging for too long.**


	19. Chapter 19

**SORRY IT TOOK A WEEK! I didn't mean for it to pan out that way but I had trouble in knowing how to write. I knew I had to get from one point to another but I couldn't figure out how I wanted to get there. It's done now though. **

**In any case, so many views! You guys! I want to lick you all!**

**Trying to write the sad parts in this with the Tangled soundtrack playing is really hard and is giving me RotG/Tangled crossover thoughts. Although I like me a homosexual Jack I can't deny Jack/Rapunzel is an adorably good match. Then again, Jack/Flynn? Hmm… Well, either way it would probably only work if Jack could sing and Chris Pine certainly can (YouTube it) sooooo let that one marinate in your noggin for a little while. I'll be imagining Jack dancing in hotpants to It's Raining Men. I gotta gay him up again. Crossing him with Flynn Ryder in my head helps. **

**Hi ho, jackrabbit!**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 19**

Jack didn't really think as he was taken home after Bunny had told him the terrible news of his leaving. He didn't really know how to take it. He had no idea what was going to happen now and didn't know whether to cry or scream or behave rationally or whether to behave any way at all. How are you supposed to act when the person you love tells you they have to leave you?

Well, Bunny wasn't leaving out of choice – at least, that's what he thought had been said. It was simply a case of his contracted time in Pittsburgh coming to it's end and he couldn't extend his visa. A very simple matter indeed. Sure, it might seem complicated now, but really it was all down to a couple of very plain, simple points, wasn't it? Why then was he so upset if it was all to clear to see? Things as simple as this were never things to get worked up over. They were easily explained for a reason and were simple to resolve. It shouldn't matter how painful it was, he should have been able to deal with it and find a solution.

Simple.

_"What a stupid fucking word!" _Jack thought as he clung to Bunny's jacket whilst the pair of them climbed the stairs to his apartment. He was distraught and the only reason he wasn't letting it all out was because he was still so dazed from being so abruptly blindsided in the park. He just didn't have the capacity at that time to produce the thoughts necessary for an outburst and the way he felt seemed to suggest that he wasn't going to gain it any time soon.

As they approached the top he couldn't help but let the memories of all the times they'd been right there on those stairs after coming back from doing something fun together during the last year. From things as big as heading off to Disney World on a whim to as little as heading down to the basement to do laundry, so many of those trips had ended with the pair of them climbing those stairs. It was a great equalizer to everything they had done in the time they had been together which now, with the threat of termination looming, seemed so short. He didn't feel as if they were done yet so why was life making it turn out that way?

When they got to his couch, Bunny sat him down, pulled him close and together they sat in silence just trying to let the reality of the situation sink in. As with many times in his life when things were overwhelming, time became fluid for Jack and when Bunny finally moved to get up to go to the bathroom he didn't know if minutes or hours had passed. When he was left alone, he found he felt extremely small and didn't understand the reason why after having spent nearly three years in this same apartment where he now felt so lost.

Scratch that. It would be stupid to wonder why and he had no time to pretend as if he didn't understand the exact reason he was sad. It kept replaying itself over and over in his head in big, booming tones that seemed as if they were hammering at his brain. Once again, as the words 'Bunny is leaving' slammed into him he felt himself tipping over from where he sat and landed on his side to stare blankly out into space. Try as he might, he just couldn't move after he curled up feebly on his couch and didn't even notice Bunny turn on the light after he came back from the bathroom.

"Jack?...Honey?" he said gently as he approached the coach and stopped behind it to look down at his crushed boyfriend. He felt so miserable for having to drop this bombshell on him and he hated himself for not having already thought of a solution. He desperately wanted to stay, he needed to but there was simply no way. He'd done his research, he'd made calls and sent emails and exhausted every avenue to try and find a way to at least stay in the country but it was no use. If he was not employed with this orchestra then he had to go back to Australia and there was no way around that. He would have to go back to Melbourne and leave Jack, his brilliant, beautiful Jack, behind.

He didn't let on that it cut him just as deep as the tangled mess of white-haired boy in the couch. He couldn't figure out how. More to the point, all of the emotion, turmoil and strife that had been building up since he'd first found out just seemed to clog his mind when he tried to show it and if no kind of thought was flowing then there was no way he could begin to express his pain to Jack. It was a complete mess and he desperately wished he knew of a way to make it easier. How could it possibly be easy though if he was torn from the one he loved?

The night brought no clarity with it. Jack didn't eat a thing despite Bunny cooking for him and he barely spoke right up until he was led to bed. Finding a warm space in Bunny's arms, he tried to forget the world around him and pretend as if everything was okay but it was no use. Every time he managed to cross into that place where he was simply existing with Bunny in one place with nothing else to care about in the world, it was quickly snatched away when the crushing, black reminder that before long they would be ripped apart reared its ugly head and threw him back into a chasm where nothing but emptiness and despair were waiting for him.

As the cycle continued, the pain became stronger and when Jack finally couldn't bear to remain in Bunny's embrace he gently pushed himself away and pulled a pillow into his arms just so he could feel some kind of closeness. It didn't matter that the feeling was false, it simply helped to be holding something. That didn't stop the tears though which did eventually begin to seep from his eyes. Not wanting to wake Bunny, Jack delicately squeaked into the pillow as he muffled the agony that pleaded to escape through his mouth and after only a little while he fortunately managed to mute himself entirely. The shuddering that emanated uncontrollably from within proved untameable but time proved that it didn't disturb his lover. That was probably a good thing. He didn't want to make Bunny feel worse, even though he was mad at him in a way for unleashing this terror. He knew it wasn't his fault but he just wanted someone to blame for the terrible feeling he had within and in his mind it was better he let it subside without him knowing so he could preserve his rational thought and conversation to talk about it in the morning.

He wasn't stupid and he knew it wasn't healthy. He just didn't care any more though. He figured he could deal with this any way he wanted and to hell with anyone who said otherwise.

The next morning, Bunny found him in his crumpled, separated state and felt just as much remorse for telling him as he had the previous day. Deciding to let him sleep, he quickly got ready for the Monday morning commute, wrote Jack a note and slipped out as quietly as he could.

When he awoke, Jack still felt pretty tired from his restless night and took a long time to pull his thoughts together. With a sigh, he finally decided to look at the clock and see how little time he had left himself to get ready and saw Bunny's note resting against his clock. Lazily reaching for it, he brought it to his face and did his best to focus. It read:

_'Don't worry about coming in if you don't want to. I'll sort it out. We'll talk later. I love you. I'm sorry'_

Closing his eyes, he felt his face begin to screw up as tears threatened to flow once again and trying his best not to mope, he dropped the paper in his hand and pushed himself up. At least he had the day to figure out how he was going to come to terms with the mess he was faced with. Despite his poor track record, he was convinced he should be able to deal with such a seemingly unsolvable dilemma and knew he had to think of a solution if he was going to keep his Bunny.

Why was it his responsibility though? Shouldn't it have been Bunny to find a way to stay with him? If he did love him then why hadn't he found a way?

Maybe that was unfair though. After all, he said he knew about this for weeks now. Maybe he had been trying and hadn't given up just yet. It was right he told him, wasn't it? After all, it's better he know now rather than later. Surely.

Then again, why didn't he just break up with him? If he knew he was going to be leaving then why was he stringing it out? Just to get some last minute sex before he shoved off? What a dick!

Now that really was unfair. He couldn't say Bunny hadn't treated him well. If he was fooling him then he really was a master because Jack didn't know anyone who could forge a lie that convincing. Bunny clearly loved him back and so this really must have been hard for him too. Maybe he was just being strong for the both of them as always and wasn't going to show how badly he hurt. That sounded closer to the truth, right? It had to be. They loved each other dearly and no matter who you are, love that strong has to sting when it's broken.

What if he'd planned it all along though?

No. That was ridiculous.

Maybe that's how it started.

No. Of course not.

But what if…?

How about…?

But then…?

Maybe…?

"Oh, God!" Jack eventually groaned as he sat down in his bathtub with the shower running onto him as he struggled with the flurry of tortured thoughts in his head. There was just so much to think about and so much to consider. How was he possibly going to come to any kind of clarity when he couldn't help but get worked up about losing the man he had fallen so desperately in love with? He really needed Bunny in his life and he couldn't bear the thought of losing him. It just seemed like an impossibility that in a few months…no, weeks, he would be gone and he had no idea if they would be able to work it out. Could they manage a long distance relationship? Was it stupid to even consider that? The US and Australia are a long way from one another and there was probably no chance of them being able to see each other more than…say, two or three times a year - if that. How could that possibly be enough? He couldn't survive not seeing Bunny for that long and he was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. How then were they going to make this work?

As the water continued to run down his pale skin and into the drain, it slowly began to dawn on Jack that they really were going to have to break up. It seemed like the obvious end to their little fairytale if Bunny was indeed leaving; he just hadn't made the connection. More to the point, he hadn't wanted to admit it but now, as his jaw began to quiver with the realization, he began to see that the end for them was now very clearly in sight.

There was no holding back anymore. Straight away Jack burst into tears as he sat in the shower and continued to just sit and cry until the water ran cold. His life with Bunny was nearly over and there was nothing he could do. They were in their final chapter and no amount of wishing or pleading or arguing with fate was going to change it. All they had was about eight weeks and then they may never see each other again. Eight measly weeks. That was no time at all.

_Later that day…_

By roughly eleven, Jack's phone finally began to buzz. Looking at the screen as he lay folded up on the couch, he found it strange that it had taken Tooth this long to call. Still, maybe she had only just heard and he was glad he now had someone to talk to. Pressing the green button, he dragged the phone to his ear and grumbled.

"Hello?"

"Jack?! Oh, Jack! I'm so sorry!"

"So I guess he told you?"

"Yes. I just can't believe it?"

"I know. I can't either"

"Did he tell you this morning?"

"No. Yesterday. Sorry I didn't call, I was pretty beat up"

"Did he stay with you?"

"Yeah. It felt weird though"

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess because he's…because he has to…well, I don't wanna say it…"

"Oh, baby. I'm so, so sorry"

"It's okay. We've just gotta work it out"

"You think you can?"

"I don't know-…I just-" Jack paused as he felt himself getting upset again and he really didn't want to cry down the phone. With a sniff to let her know he was on the edge, he simply told her he'd call later after he'd spoken to Bunny and would let her know what they decided – if indeed they could come to a decision.

A couple of hours later, the doorbell rang and Jack lazily pushed himself up off of the couch as he went to answer it wondering who could be buzzing in the middle of the day on a Monday. Feeling strangely exposed as he wandered limply towards the callbox, he gently pressed the button and asked who was there.

"Jacky, it's me"

He closed his eyes as heard Bunny's voice on the other end and debated with himself whether or not to open the door. He didn't know why he shouldn't, he just didn't think he wanted to for some reason and after a long moment of indecision Bunny spoke again.

"Come on, Jack, open up. I took the afternoon off so we could talk about this. I don't wanna leave you alone to deal with it by yourself"

With a crackly gulp, Jack took a slow breath before replying. "I just don't know if I can deal with this right now"

"Then let's at least not deal with it together"

Jack was silent again and the winced as he heard Bunny's quiet but definitive words, "I love you"

Feeling any reply catch in his throat, he simply unlocked the door for him and then went to open the door to his apartment before wandering back to the couch and sitting down. It only took a second for Bunny to get up the stairs and come in. Seeing Jack hunched over in his blue plaid pyjama pants with a white t-shirt and waiting anxiously was not a sight that filled him with any kind of reassurance. Stepping up behind him, he placed his arms around his chest and pulled him close before nuzzling into his hair and kissing his head. He kept his face pressed against him and remained silent for a moment as he listened for Jack's gentle breathing and then closed his eyes as he felt the boy's hand land on his arm.

"Jack, sweetheart, I really have tried. I'm still trying. Everything I try just leads into a brick wall though"

Jack wanted to reassuringly say they would work it out but he just couldn't manage it. Instead he tightened his grip on Bunny just a little and simply said, "I love you too"

The pair stayed there for a little while before Bunny pulled away and turned around to walk towards Jack's kitchen.

"I bet you haven't eaten today, have you?" Jack's silence was enough to give him his answer and walking over to the fridge, he sneered at the sparse shelves he found inside. "In the whole time we've been together how have you managed to spend any time on your own and not starve?"

Hoping for banter, he was disappointed when Jack didn't respond and simply settled for pulling out some eggs he really hoped were still fresh. Quickly whipping them into something simple but enjoyable, he brought what he'd made over to Jack on a plate and held it out in front of him before saying "Eat"

Jack took the plate from him and delicately began to pick at the food he'd been prepared and he had to admit it made him feel better – albeit only slightly. Maybe it was the fact that Bunny was taking care if him, as always, or maybe his body was just grateful for food. No wonder he stayed so thin if every time he got a little stressed he stopped eating. It had been a topic of conversation he'd had many times with Bunny in the previous months but he'd always countered with the fact that his calorific intake was monumental when he was feeling good. That was just one of the fun little debates they regularly had and even thinking about that pained him since he knew such instances were to be axed from his life very soon.

When he finished, Bunny took the plate from him and then pulled him close again as they sat back on the coach.

"We don't have to talk about it today, if you don't want"

Jack sighed. "I guess we should do it now rather than later"

"Still, I can see you're pretty upset. You really were last night"

"You heard that?"

"Yeah. Wish I could have helped you"

"Hey. Don't worry about it. I was just feeling sorry for myself"

"No. You're feeling sorry for us and so am I"

"Well, I guess it's appropriate, huh?"

"Yeah"

The two were silent for a moment before Bunny carried on.

"So, I guess I should tell you all the things I've tried so you don't have to ask"

"Okay"

"Well, I went to a meeting a couple of weeks ago when they started talking about getting a new guest conductor for next year. I said I'd be happy to stay on but apparently they wanted to get a new guy which, as you now know, is a new girl. Anyway, I tried to talk to them about staying but it was no use. Afterwards I went to North to see if there was anything to be done and he did really try but he just couldn't find a place for me"

"I bet he did. He's really great" Jack said understandingly.

"Yeah, he is. Anyway, I then started looking around at other orchestras but they're either set for conductors or there are no guest slots available or they just haven't gotten back to me"

"You mean you're still waiting on some?"

"I was for one but I don't think I'm gonna get it"

"Why not?"

"Well, it was a permanent position in Los Angeles but I think they already gave it to some Japanese guy. At least that's what I hear"

"Damn…"

"I know. Still, LA is pretty far from here anyway. Would it even matter?"

"You'd still be in the country"

"Yeah…well, anyway, that's not going to happen…"

"What are you gonna do when you go back to Australia?"

"I've already got a place in Melbourne if I want it"

"Have you already told them you will?"

"Not yet. It's always open to me"

"Your old orchestra?"

"Yeah. But this time I'd be chief conductor"

"Chief conductor? Really?" Jack said astonished.

"Yeah"

"But…but that's amazing" Jack said a little breathily. This was really a great opportunity for Bunny and it was made all the more amazing by the fact that he was only twenty-nine. He didn't think he'd ever heard of such a young conductor being put in charge and to think of what doors this could open up for him was staggering.

"Well, I don't know. Part of me thinks it would be a good idea to go but then a huge part is telling me it's away from you"

Jack felt a lump appear in his throat. "You really think you can pass on something like that?"

"Easily for you. And kind of because it would be a step backwards…in a way"

"But just think. In a year or two you could be getting calls from some of the biggest orchestras in the world."

"I guess"

"And taking it is probably the only way you might get calls like that before you're thirty-five or forty"

"Yeah"

Again, silence hung in the air around them as they wordlessly agreed that such a huge opportunity would be stupid to pass on. How though could Jack let reason tear him apart from Bunny? It really didn't sound like a fair compromise to him and why the hell couldn't he be selfish in a case like this?

"Could you really not do it?" he asked tentatively as he turned to face his lover.

"As I said, for you I could" Bunny replied warmly but with a distinct look of regret behind his eyes. Seeing it, Jack felt like a complete jerk for even suggesting Bunny shouldn't take them up on their offer and even though it hurt him to know that he would leave, he found he even felt excited for him that he could be going to something so amazing. Could he really ask Bunny not to take this step that could practically ensure his future was golden?

The selfish feeling in his gut wasn't going to let him resolve this now. It was just too strong and merciless to weaken its grip on him at that time. As he tried to think of a reply though, Jack found he couldn't slip back into trying to discourage him from leaving. It was the last thing he wanted in the world but upon hearing of the door now open to Bunny he couldn't not leave the possibility open to him despite knowing what the consequence was. With a heavy sigh, he laid his head against him again.

"Maybe for now we should just enjoy the time we have together. After all, it could be nearly over"

"Don't say that, Jack" Bunny half moaned. "It can't be over yet"

"But we have to face facts. At least until we know there's nothing that can be done, let's make the most of what we've got. Even though I hate to think you might have to go I hate even more that we might wreck our last few weeks together by moping"

Bunny sighed but smiled, "I don't know if I can be happy knowing I have to leave you behind"

"You don't have to be. But let's wait until we know that's what's going to happen"

"Okay" he said solemnly before moving his hands up to Jack's shoulders and looking him deep in the eyes. Holding his gaze for a long moment, he simply said in a low, soothing voice, "I really love you, Jacky"

"I really love you too, Bun Bun" Jack replied timorously before closing his eyes and receiving Bunny's lips against his. Being able to escape his trouble inside that kiss, even just for a moment, was a breath of fresh air and the most comforting thing he could imagine. The way the gentle caress of his lips calmed him and made him feel so at home was more than he had ever thought he might deserve and as they lingered against one another, he never wanted it to end.

The week went by slowly once Jack returned to work the next day and despite his initial attempts at pretending nothing had happened he quickly found there was no way of ignoring the issue at hand. Trying to think of things to do with Bunny proved strangely difficult and the time that they did manage to spend together was spent pretty quietly with an air of tension surrounding them. It was quite appropriate really, but no amount of appropriateness could make up for how scary the situation really was. Every morning when he woke up Jack was reminded by the smallest of things that Bunny might soon be gone from his life. Be it seeing the drawer he had cleared out for him in his dresser or the pictures he'd stuck to the mirror by the front door from their various jaunts, there was no escaping the looming threat of being single again and by the time the weekend came around he felt completely emotionally drained.

On Saturday afternoon, Jack found himself trailing behind Tooth at the mall as they went from store to store and he was so tired from the week and his usual trip to Burgess that morning that he just wanted to go home and go to bed. Tooth's idea of taking him out to try and distract him was fast proving useless and she felt so annoyed with herself that she couldn't figure out how to perk him up. He had been down all week long and she had really felt for him. He'd never really been through something this hard for as long as she'd known him and she hated to see him so cut up. More to the point, she knew exactly how he was feeling on the inside and seeing his quiet introversion in lieu of his usual cocky and fun-loving extroversion seemed to persistently hammer into her the distress he was obviously feeling.

Unfortunately for her, it wasn't just Jack that she felt for anymore. Having also become so close to Bunny she was hit from the other side as well and since his unhappiness was so different to Jack's she found it impossible to maintain her usual chirpiness. Bunny's expression during the week had been the very embodiment of depression and every time she saw his pained, worried eyes the sight cut into her heart like a dagger and made her want to hug him and never let go. He had seemed just so unhappy the whole week and whenever she asked him how he was doing he always managed – through no fault of his own – to make her want to cry. Being so eloquent he was able to express his feelings so perfectly and so simply to her that their impact was all the more concentrated. She could barely handle his well-put answers and she so desperately wished he could give him the answer he so desperately sought for. So, with Jack being so quiet and Bunny being so despondent she figured out pretty soon that there was no hope for her in keeping chipper.

Even now as she tried to be cheery during this supposedly casual excursion with the aim of distracting Jack from his mope she found it hard to smile. Try as she might, he just didn't seem interested and after a while she found she was glad Bunny hadn't been able to come. Just imagining the pair of them wandering along behind her and depressing each other even further was too much. She figured she'd most likely melt into a rainbow-coloured puddle of emotional agony and she found it so alien to be feeling so down by association. All she wanted to do was to cheer him up and she'd never had a problem doing it before. It pained her to see that this time she just couldn't do it though and as she lead Jack over to a bench and sat down, she leaned forward and placed her head in her hands as she tried to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

"Y'alright?" Jack asked after a little while.

"Yeah, I'll be fine"

"Sorry I'm not being much fun"

"It's okay. I guess I should have figured you wouldn't really wanna come out after giving lessons all morning"

"Naw, it's fine. I'm just kinda somewhere else"

"I bet I can guess where"

"Hm…well, I've been there all week. I guess it should be no surprise"

"Still no luck in figuring things out, huh?"

"No, not yet. Bunny's waiting for a call right now but I don't know who it's from"

"Maybe another orchestra?"

"Probably. He's been trying so hard. I hate to see him so worried"

"Well, can you blame him? He's been run ragged looking for anywhere he could go that lets him stay here"

Jack chortled quietly. "Just listening to it makes it sound impossible"

"Something will come up, Jack" Tooth said as reassuringly as possible.

"Will it? I think we might be out of luck this time"

"Don't say that. Don't give up hope"

Jack sighed. "It's hard though. Whenever I'm alone I just can't help but think that it's what life is gonna be like soon and I just can't think of anything else. It's just so scary"

"You wanna talk about it?"

"There's nothing to tell. I can't believe things have come to this and at the same time I feel so stupid for not seeing that it was always going to happen. I just wish I'd taken a second to think"

"Would you have done anything differently though?"

"No. But at least then I could have had more time to figure it out. Whenever I try to think of anything I just can't stop thinking about how little time we have left and then that's all I can think about"

"That sucks"

"Tell me about it. Short of hiding him under my bed I just don't know how he can stay"

Tooth didn't know how to respond. She didn't want to upset him further but at the same time she wanted to try and reassure him somehow. In the end she simply shuffled closer and put her arm around him as he fell against her shoulder. The pair remained silent as the other people in the mall simply walked on by and the blankness of the situation seemed to embody the lack of answers they'd come up with since they had found out what was on the cards.

A little while later, Jack found himself going back into his apartment alone after refusing Tooth's offer to keep him company and once again flopped down on his couch. He felt pretty crappy for saying no to her but he didn't think it was fair to depress her even more than he already had. Hopefully she'd perk up now that he wasn't with her although to think that he was the cause of her unhappiness did not make him feel all that good. Going with the theme of the week though, he didn't care and spun over to bury his face in the cushions as he tried to pick through his predicament one more time.

After a few minutes, his nose became uncomfortable as it was scrunched up against the upholstery and he decided to push himself up again. Traipsing over to the kitchen, he pulled open the fridge in search of something to eat as he remembered the constant reminders to do so from Bunny he'd been receiving all week. Not finding much inspiration as per usual, he dragged out some strawberries before wandering back to the couch and proceeding to pig out on them. At least they were healthy and reminded him of the summer when none of this had even been on the horizon. He'd had such a great time with Bunny as they wiled away the days together and it made him smile just a little to remember how great it was to be in the sun and in love. He'd never really been one for the heat before but being with Bunny seemed to make him enjoy it. He'd even managed to gain something equivalent to tan which he'd never had before and as he lay on his couch stuffing his face with strawberries he couldn't help but widen his smile just a little as he marvelled at how Bunny had changed him. It wasn't that much, he had to admit, but he had certainly become more like him in the time they'd spent together and he figured he was better for it. Bunny was a brilliant, beautiful man and he felt so lucky he'd been able to share as much time as he had with him.

Sitting back up when he finished the carton, he mulled that thought over in his head as he tried to decide how he felt about it. Of course, he was still upset that Bunny was most likely leaving but he wasn't at all upset about the impact he'd had on his life. Bunny had most assuredly changed him for the better and he had so many wonderful memories of them together. Sure, it was terrible that he wouldn't be there anymore but it was great to know that he'd been his for nearly a year. After all, some people never find the one person in the world that is perfect for them and Jack seriously began to wonder if it was all really that bad. Well, yes, it was, but was it really all that regrettable? Just getting to spend a little time with him was probably a blessing and, in the end, shouldn't he just be grateful?

He didn't convince himself of that. He was still extremely pissed that he wouldn't get to keep Bunny but at least now he figured he was starting to see it from a different angle. If he had never known Bunny then he never would have been made to feel so special and he was so glad that he had. If he had never become involved with him then he would have gone his whole life without having an experience quite like the one he'd had and to think that such a thing very nearly could have happened he found he was thankful for having had him at least for a while. To have to give him back to…well, fate, would be more than he could bear but at least he'd be able to say he belonged to him for a time. Surely that was a gift he could treasure.

Feeling unsure of his newfound feelings, he ambled to the bathroom and began to run a bath. Slowly pulling off his clothes, he stood naked for a second as he looked into the mirror and tried to trace any remaining tan he may have had left over from the summer and it seemed he could still faintly make out a line around his navel. Feeling slightly pleased with himself, he turned to the bathtub to pour some bubbles and then stepped into the hot water as they foamed up. When it was full, he turned the faucet off and sank gleefully into to relaxing world of bubbles he'd created and marvelled as his cares began to float away. Next to Bunny's arms, baths were always the best thing for him to escape the troubles of the world and as he felt his tension dissolve so too did his mind drift away from his recent gloom. Tilting his head back, he let the hot water flow into his messy hair and pretty soon he was in a different land entirely. Here, everything was silent and full of fluffy bubble clouds he could float through in ecstasy and nothing could harm him here at all. Here he was safe and worry-free and he wanted to remain forever in this blissful absent-mindedness. If he could manage that, Bunny wouldn't be leaving, he wouldn't have to go to work, there were no bills or chores or commitments to worry about and there was nothing that could ever harm him. Here there was perfect serenity and was where his perfect life existed.

A muffled bang from above the water wrenched him out of his dreamland and rising through the bubbles and out of total harmony, he wiped the bubbles away from his ears and listened intently for what it could have been.

"Jacky?! Jacky, where are you?!" he heard Bunny call as his footsteps thumped around his living room. Before he could answer he heard the man barge into his bedroom and then push through the bathroom door looking halfway between panicked and excited.

"What? What's happening?" Jack asked a little startled.

"Brace yourself, babe!" Bunny said as he began to smile. The look on his face suddenly filled Jack with gleeful anticipation and trying not to let his imagination run away with him, he dared to dream for a moment what the news could be. "Okay, so, you know that call I was waiting for?" Bunny said in the same spirit of enthusiasm that surrounded him.

"Yes?" Jack replied cautiously.

"It was with my the orchestra in Melbourne"

"Oh…"

"They were asking about the job"

Jack gulped feeling a little disappointed, "W-…What did you tell them?"

"I said I'm still not sure"

"Then…uh...why are you so…?"

"Excited?" he said with a smile, "Well, because I've managed to wangle a little perk into it for myself if I take it"

Jack bit back a frown. Did that mean he had decided to go for it? That surely meant they were over then and he hadn't even been told. He wasn't mad with Bunny but he was becoming annoyed.

"So you're taking it then?"

"Maybe. But only on one condition?"

"And what's that?"

"Well, it's that perk. I only say yes to signing back on with them if it works out"

"Well, what is it?"

Bunny chuckled to himself excitedly and bounced on his heels a little, "Oh, it's a good one! I guarantee it!"

"Well, what?!"

"You get to come with me!"

**Too obvious? Well, it'll seem less so when I flesh it out a bit in the next chapter which may well be the last. Who can tell? It'll depend on how I want to round off the story and I have two ideas at the moment and no, they're not Jack and Bunny staying together or Jack and Bunny not staying together. Whether they will or not is already decided – at least for me it is. You'll see what I mean next time.**

**Thank you all again for your reviews and follows! Y'all are so amazing! I wish I could draw better since I would so love to illustrate this story. Maybe I will if I can find the time. If any of you want to doodle something then please feel free. I have no problem with that whatsoever!**

**Thanks for reading. See you in the next chapter! The last one! Maybe! AAH!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Ladies and gentlemen, here it is. The final chapter. Well, maybe not. I'll decide once I've gotten to the end if I want to write an epilogue. I had never really planned to and was always going to finish the story at the end of this chapter in the way that you will see but now…I don't know. Well, you'll see what I mean.**

**In any case, I want to thank you all so much for reading and being so vocal in your praise. It really has been lovely to hear from all of you lovely people who took the time to review as well as the many more who have favourited and followed. You are a lovely, lovely bunch and I thank you all wholeheartedly. **

**So, without further ado, let's jackrabbit together one more time!**

**WARNING: Smex! Gay smex! That is all. (Well, I couldn't finish without giving y'all a quick dollop of queer romping, could I?!)**

**Play For Me, Jack**

**Chapter 20**

The weeks seemed to fly by after Bunny revealed his lifeline to their relationship. Everyday, though, those words "You get to come with me" echoed in Jack's mind from the moment he woke up to the moment he went to sleep. They were perhaps the most exciting and terrifying words he had ever heard in his life and it had been no easy ride in getting to where he was now.

Sitting alone on a cold, metal bench watching people walk by hurriedly outside his own conflicted world, he asked himself even now if he had made the right decision. Really it had been a simple one: he either went with Bunny or he didn't. He had been avoiding that word 'simple' lately though as it always seemed to annoy him. In fact, it really wasn't that simple a decision at all. He had been asked whether or not he could practically end the life he had in Pittsburgh and follow Bunny into the unknown. Such a prospect gave him a terrific sense of adventure but reality had quickly quelled it with the fact that he would be taking the most monumental risk he was ever likely to take.

As he continued to sit and ponder alone as people continued to walk past him without even noticing him there, he couldn't believe this day had come around so fast. It had been Bunny's last day in the US and as he sat alone he quickly began to doubt the decision he'd made. Going with Bunny would be terrifying but he'd still get to be with him. Staying behind gave him security. What was the choice he was meant to have made?

No further clarity came to his troubled mind as he worried about his decision and as he continued to wonder he began to think back over the previous eight weeks and all the things that had led him to where he was now. He wished he wasn't alone and surrounded by strangers but he figured he should be able to handle such situations when faced with challenges like this. He had certainly been spending plenty of time alone in the previous weeks as he tried to have an epiphany.

_Eight weeks ago…_

"Go with you?" Jack said breathlessly after a long, drawn out gap in their conversation.

Bunny nodded enthusiastically. "Can you believe it? I said there was only one condition under which I could go back and that was if they agreed to take you on as well. I mean, you'd have to audition but it'll pretty much be predicated on you already having a place. It's more so they know where to put you but since I'll be in charge I'll be fast-tracking you to concertmaster. So after a year or two you'll be running the show!"

Jack just looked at him as if Bunny had told him he'd murdered someone. He was utterly shocked and being naked in the bath with Bunny looming over him didn't help matters. Grabbing a towel and then covering himself as he stood up and stepped out, he wrapped it around himself girly-style – as always – and clutched the edges at his chest worriedly as he tried to come to terms with what Bunny was saying to him.

"I-…I can't believe this" he said as he looked away from Bunny's face in sheer bafflement.

"I know. It's just so great, isn't it?"

"Great?! It's crazy! How can I-…How can you ask me to-…I can't…ugh…"

"Ha! I knew you'd be knocked six ways from Sunday! But Jacky, we don't have to worry anymore. We can still be together this way! Isn't that what we've been trying to guarantee?"

Words failed Jack as he tried to process all of the new information. It was so unbelievable he just couldn't figure out how to place it in his mind and although Bunny seemed so happy and he wanted to be happy with him, sudden flashes of his job, Tooth, his family and all manner of things infiltrated his consciousness and pulled him in every direction. It was true that he desperately wanted to stay with Bunny, but could he really do so at the expense of what was practically his life?

"Come on, Jacky. Believe it! It's all going to be alright now" Bunny said as he placed his arms around him and pulled him close. Jack didn't hug him back, partly to hold up the towel and partly because he just didn't know how to feel. Either way, Bunny noticed how rigid he was but being blinded to his conflict mistook it for shock. "Aw, Jack. Sorry to have scared ya. Still, you don't have to be so shocked. We're gonna be together. Isn't that great?"

Jack gulped as he stared blankly at Bunny's neck as he stood so close and then stiffly looked up at him as they parted. Bunny was clearly waiting for him to say something and after another long moment of silence, he finally managed to open his mouth.

"I…just don't know what to say"

"Well…you could say you're pleased. You could say 'I love you Bunny, I'm so glad we're going to get to stay together, let's have sex right now'"

Jack just huffed through his nose as Bunny continued to make light of the situation.

"Ah, come on, Jack. Don't worry. It might be unexpected but really you must be happy. And don't worry about the sex right now…unless you wanna"

"No. I don't wanna" Jack said grumpily as he pushed past Bunny and went into his bedroom to dry off. Bunny simply ambled along happily behind him and began to take off his jacket as he prepared to settle in for the night.

"So, I guess we'll have to start making plans to move you out too. I guess we'll have to get a visa sorted and move all your stuff. And you'll have to quit pretty much tomorrow. I don't really know how long you're meant to-"

"Are you serious?!" Jack said all of a sudden as he was fishing through his dresser for pyjamas. Bunny looked up at him as he stood their rigidly but motionless. Suddenly things didn't seem quite so peachy as they had a moment ago and he didn't really understand why.

"Jack? Honey, what's wrong?" he said as he got up and went to place a hand on him. He shook it off as soon it was placed down on his bare shoulder and then turned to the taller man with a simmering look about him that threatened to escalate into something far more fiery.

"What's wrong is I can't even think of just packing up and going off to live on the other side of the world in just eight weeks! How can you think this is so easy?!"

Bunny was confused. He thought Jack had been okay with this new reality. It suddenly seemed as if everything was okay for them but apparently he had been wrong.

"I'm sorry…I thought you'd be happy"

"Happy? Happy that I have to leave everything I've ever had behind and try to make a go of it thousands of miles away in a place I've never been before? Come on! How can I be happy about that?!"

"Because it's how we get to stay together" Bunny said dejectedly as his good feeling was ripped away. Usually when Jack got snappy he just dealt with it by acting high and mighty and piling on the banter. Now though he just couldn't help feeling any other way but sad that Jack wasn't onboard with what he assumed was their saving grace and to think that they might be without an answer again just made him feel terrible and deflated.

Jack, on the other hand, was getting mad. He couldn't believe Bunny would think this was just going to be all done and dusted without even talking to him beforehand. It was typical of him to think he was in charge all the time and he was angry with him for thinking he could just up and leave without having to think. Moving to Australia in just eight weeks seemed impossible and on top of that, as his mind kept revisiting the implications, he couldn't even begin to think of how he was going to handle leaving his family and perhaps even more importantly, Tooth. There was just so much to consider and were it not for his growing anger he most probably would have wanted to cry.

With a deep, slow breath, he turned his eyes down and then turned away again.

"I think maybe you should sleep at your place tonight"

"What? Jack…Jacky…"

"Please just…just leave me alone…"

"Jacky. Can we please just talk about this? I'm sorry I didn't think to talk to you"

"I just need to be alone. Please…?"

In those few short sentences Bunny suddenly felt even worse. He hated to think he'd upset the man he loved and he desperately wanted to fix it then and there. What could he do though apart from abide by his wishes for now? So, avoiding risking upsetting him even more, he turned around, grabbed his jacket and made for the door. Just before he left he stopped and quietly said "I love you" before receiving no reply and then sorrowfully leaving him alone as per his wishes.

When he heard the front door close Jack sighed and placed his face in his hands as the realization of upsetting his man sank in. He could have dealt with that better but right now he just couldn't think of anything but what a huge decision he now had to make.

Turning, he flopped onto the bed still wet from the bathtub and just lay there silently as he tried to calm himself down. He didn't have any success before falling into a restless sleep.

_Presently…_

With a huff, Jack closed his eyes and shook his head clear of the memory of his first encounter with the big question. Looking up, he looked around as he wondered if he should go and grab some coffee to try and divert his attention or at least have something warm to make him feel better. The bench he was still firmly planted on was making his butt cold and he smiled to himself as he marvelled that a winter in Pittsburgh could make things even inside a building as he was now cold. That would certainly be something he'd miss if I were indeed to go to Australia. He had come to enjoy the heat more than he used to after spending the summer with Bunny but to think that it would be warm nearly all year there did put him off. Still, even though he was pretty good at handling the cold he had to admit even he felt the chill become too great from time to time so perhaps it would be nice to experience a change for a few years – if not permanently. Plus barbecues, beaches and lovely long summers with Bunny – that was a real draw.

There was no use thinking about that now though. His choice was made and he was going to have to stand by it. Temperature really wasn't his main worry though as he began to consider what life after this day was going to be like and he really wasn't sure even now if he was going to be able to deal with it.

Sitting back against the metal backrest again, he looked up at the ceiling high above him with the florescent light shining back on him just as cold as the winter outside. He wished Bunny were there with him to keep him warm. He was like a big, hunky hot water bottle that was always welcome on a winter's day and he supposed that is what it would be like from then on if he were to be left alone in Pittsburgh. Sure, snuggling with Tooth was nice but she wasn't the same as Bunny.

Thinking about Tooth made him sad. This decision had been just as hard on her as it had on him although he loved her for being helpful. That was the way she had always been and he felt so lucky that she had put her own interests aside as she'd helped him come to his decision. Not that it had taken her long to make him choose but the way she had made it so easy for him to deal with her made everything so much better in the end.

_The morning after Jack sent Bunny away…_

Jack woke up feeling cold before realizing he had fallen asleep naked on top of his sheets. Pushing himself up, he grimaced as he felt just a little remaining damp on the blanket beneath him after not having dried off properly from his bath and then traipsed into the bathroom to let out the now stone-cold bathwater. Sitting on the edge of the tub, he sighed as he watched it quickly drain away and instantly eluded it to the time he potentially had left in Pittsburgh. Now that he was calm he was able to start thinking about what he was going to do and even though he was sleepy he still recognized the magnitude of his decision.

Getting up and putting on his robe which hung on the back of the door, he wrapped it around and hugged himself briefly as he wished he hadn't sent Bunny away last night. He really wanted to snuggle with him on that Sunday morning and he knew he had behaved rather meanly towards what Bunny had clearly considered equivalent to finding the Holy Grail.

He'd make it up to him later. Right now though all he wanted to do was talk to Tooth and as he went out to his living room and fell down on the couch, he grabbed his phone and flicked through to her number.

It rang for quite a while before a sleepy voice on the other end picked up and crackled into the line making him smile gently.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"About seven?"

"On a Sunday"

"Yeah"

"So you should at least wait 'til ten before bugging me"

"But then it wouldn't be bugging"

"What do you want, Jack?" she said strangely grouchily.

"I need to talk"

"Can't it wait a couple hours?"

"Bunny wants me to go to Australia with him"

There was a pause before she replied.

"For like…ever?"

"Yeah"

Another pause.

"Okay, I'm getting up. Come on over"

"Thanks" he said before hanging up and going to get dressed. Throwing on the first things which came out of the closet, he found it pretty strange once he'd walked a few blocks that he was wearing red pants with a blue jacket but brushed it off as he remembered there were more important things to care about right now.

Before long he was at Tooth's apartment and soon found himself at her door after being buzzed in. She was still in her pyjamas when she opened it although it was hard to tell since everything she owned was brighter than the sun. After quickly filling her in on the previous evening's events she pulled him into her arms sympathetically and then held his face in her hands when they parted. Jack smiled at the gesture putting it down to just another one of those quirky things she did and then frowned again when he realized that it was just one of the things he would miss if he were to go with Bunny.

So, straight away, they dived into the decision making process and after only a few minutes Jack found himself in her kitchen making pancakes as she sat at the table nursing some juice. It was strange for him to be the one doing all the work for a change but he figured her brain was far better at sorting out a mess like this than his was and as such should be spared any distraction.

"So you just threw him out?" Tooth asked tentatively hoping Jack wasn't sore about the situation.

"No. I just asked him to go and he did. He seemed pretty let down by it though"

"Did you say anything you shouldn't have done?"

"I don't think so. I guess I might have been kinda snappy though"

"Hmm. I wonder how he's doing"

"Probably not great. I was gonna call him but I put it off. I don't really know why"

"You wanna call him now?"

"No. I kinda wanna figure things out before I do"

"You think you can do it that fast?"

"I dunno. I can try"

"It's a big decision though"

"Yeah. I just don't know what I'm gonna do"

"Do you wanna go to Australia?"

"I don't know. I haven't really had a chance to think about it"

"Well, think about it now"

Jack paused for a second in the middle of whipping the pancake mixture together and then sighed.

"If it means getting to stay with him then yes. If it means I have to leave here then…I'm not sure"

"What's most important here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Him or everything else?"

"Hard to say. I don't even know what 'everything else' really is. Sure, there's you and family and work and all my stuff is here. Hell, my whole life is here. I don't know if I can give all that up but then again I kinda want to so I can be with him"

"So you've become that kind of girl, huh?" Tooth taunted. "You'd give everything up for a guy?"

"Come on. Like you wouldn't?"

"Hey, we're talking about you"

"So you think I shouldn't go?"

"I didn't say that"

"So what then?"

"I'm not putting answers into your head, Jack. You've gotta get this one on your own"

"Oh, come on. Can't you do it for me?"

"This isn't like some test. It's your life"

"But you pretty much run it most of the time anyway. Can't you just tell me what to do?"

"No. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know"

"Well, you better start thinking"

Jack sighed. "Yeah" he said before beginning to tip the mixture he had created into the pan on the stove. "I don't know where to start though"

"Well, it's a simple question really"

Jack gave her a stern look. "Don't use that word"

"I didn't say it was easy. I just said it was simple"

"Don't be philosophizing with me. Just lay it for me plain and-…"

"Simple?"

"Shut up"

"Fine. Well, look, you either go with Bunny or you stay here. And that's it"

"But what about all the other stuff?"

"Forget about that. It's either you go with Bunny and stay with him or you stay here without Bunny and resume life were you left off in January"

"As if we'd never met…"

"Well…if you must say it like that…Thing is, do you really think you can stop being in love with him?"

The question made Jack sad. He knew the answer no; there was simply no way he could stop being in love with Bunny and he didn't think he ever could. He had become a part of his life that was surely irreplaceable and the thought of going on without him threatened to make him upset again.

Diverting his attention, he began to think of what life would be like with him where he'd know that he had left so much behind. Was being with Bunny enough to counter the fact that his life up until now would be on the other side of the world and he'd have to start afresh in a strange place with unfamiliar people, food, customs and all manner of other things. That was pretty terrifying in itself but at least he wouldn't be going it alone. He was also pretty sure it wouldn't take long to find his niche since he figured he got along with just about anyone. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to go despite leaving everything behind. Maybe it was good to periodically start anew in life and maybe this was just the way things were meant to be. After all, Bunny had done it almost a year ago so maybe it was his turn to do the same.

Realizing he'd left Tooth hanging, he blathered a little as he was snatched back to reality and then found the mental capacity to speak.

"No. No, I can't stop loving him. Not at all. Ever. He's…he's everything now and I can't bear to think that I might be without him… Stupid Bunny…"

Tooth smiled as he turned around to look at her, "I think you have your answer"

Jack sighed again and shook his head as frustration began to creep in. "It can't be as simple as that though, can it?"

Tooth got up and came up behind him as he returned to looking after the pancakes. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she rubbed gently as she spoke softly.

"It's love, Jack. It's stupid and irrational and not worth getting hooked up over. You can't resist it though. You just have to go with it"

"I don't know if I can" he said timidly as he paused and turned to her.

"Then how will you feel in two months when you're looking for him and he's not there?"

Jack gently shook his head, "I don't wanna think about it"

"If you go you don't have to"

"But what about…everything. What about you?"

"Me? I'll be fine. And hell, if you go I'll probably go too in a year or so"

"Really?"

"I don't know. Not sure how long I can last without you. Then again, maybe it'll be a nice break from having you around the whole time"

Jack chuckled in his throat, "But really. I don't know if I can leave you. You've been around longer than Bunny"

"But Bunny has full access inside your underwear. I don't"

"Well, there are more important things than sex"

"But you love him. And despite what we might think, you and I can't have that some kind of love"

"Gimme a few months and I can try"

"I don't think so. Besides, you're gross"

"No, you're gross!"

"See? We can't be involved like that"

Jack smiled weakly. "But as you said, is being with Bunny and in love with him more important than being here with you?" Tooth just gave him a look of derision and straight away he had his answer. "Okay, fine. But still, I'd miss you"

"Don't you mean I'll miss you?"

"What?"

"Haven't you already made your decision? Really?"

"I don't know"

"I think you have" she said before pulling him close and hugging him again. Jack hugged her tightly back and together they simply held each other in silence as they let their mutual understanding of the situation sink in. Leaving Tooth would probably be the hardest step but she had pretty much said it would be worth it. What a fantastic friend she was.

After a little while, Jack heard her mumble.

"Jack?"

"Hm?"

"The pancakes are burning"

_Presently…_

Fiddling with his hands, Jack felt himself becoming rather shaky as he continued to wait alone. He didn't really know what he was waiting for and wondered if he should get up and take care of himself. On that same train of though and still wondering if he had made the right decision, he started to think of calling Tooth to pick him up. It can't have been too late to go the other way and he was sure that if she were quick he could get to where he should be.

That wasn't practical though really. Tooth knew what she had to do now and so did Bunny. They had both had an answer from him and it seemed they had both made their peace with it. If he was going to flip-flop then that really wasn't fair on them and he figured that even though he was conflicted he should stand by his decision. Maybe in the end it was best he was on his own, at least for the moment. This way he could try to throw out all the mess in his head before unleashing it on another person and short of grabbing one of the people who continued to walk by in front of him he was pretty sure he could manage it.

Reaching down, he pulled his violin case closer and patted it gently as he began to think of his career. Would it be weird to go to another rehearsal now? If he went with Bunny then would it be weird to be the new guy in the orchestra? If he stayed at home would it be weird to go to rehearsal without Bunny being there to take control?

It was then the word 'home' began to circulate in his mind. Where was that now? Pittsburgh or Melbourne? It wasn't simply a matter of which city he was in though, it was where he felt right and he didn't know if that meant staying in Pittsburgh or even Burgess or if it meant being with Bunny wherever he was. He couldn't deny he felt most drawn to just being somewhere with Bunny but he didn't know if that would last if the place he'd spent so long was in another country. It was quite a stretch on his already tortured mind and he wished he could just forget all of this worry and just stand by his choice.

Easier said than done, it seemed.

_Later that Sunday…_

Jack took a deep breath before buzzing up to Bunny's apartment. It was about 9:30AM by that point and he was sure his boyfriend would be awake by that point. He hadn't received any messages which was strange but he figured Bunny was just giving him space. He was always considerate when Jack himself was wound up and he always knew when not to tease him when he was mad.

The thing was he wasn't really mad though and was now even less so after seeing Tooth. Okay, maybe he had been a little angry but it was more to do with the shock and frustration of everything happening so quickly rather than being enraged by the reality. He was glad Tooth had been able to put things into perspective for him and he wished he could have stayed longer. It was she that had sent him to Bunny's though and he wondered if he did leave who was going to take her place and rein him in when he got too uppity.

There was quite a long pause before Bunny answered the callbox and he sounded pretty sleepy as he made his reply.

"Hello?"

"Hey. It's me" Jack said solemnly and hoping Bunny wasn't too upset with him.

"Oh, hey. Did you message me?"

"No. I thought I'd better come over"

"Yeah, sure" Bunny said before opening the door for him.

As Jack climbed the stairs he wondered what he was going to say to Bunny when he got to the door and began to feel his frustration resurface when he came up with nothing. No sooner than he became distracted though did he reach the door and arrive just in time to see Bunny open it for him. Standing there wearing nothing more than a tight pair of black hipster shorts, Jack felt himself swoon as he took in the sight of his sexy, muscular man and found the sight all the more pleasing as he suppressed a giggle when he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked as he stepped forward into the apartment.

"Kinda. I didn't sleep that well" Bunny replied as he shut the door behind him.

"Look, Bunny. I'm sorry for throwing you out. I was just-"

"Naw, mate, it's fine. I'm sorry I wasn't more compassionate"

"No, really, it's not you. I didn't mean to react so…angrily to what you said"

"You had every right to. I should've been less excited"

"Why wouldn't you be though? You figured everything out and I threw it all back in your face"

"Well, maybe we were both a little to blame. Either way, I'm sorry"

"Me too" Jack said as he stepped forward and put his arms around Bunny and rubbed his hands over his firm but smooth skin. Bunny held him in kind and together they just stood there for a moment before turning their faces to one another and pressing their lips together.

Even though everything was definitely not fine, just being together again made everything seem okay – at least for now. Being in each other's embrace was more than enough to give them the illusion that everything was going to get better and as their kiss deepened so too did Bunny's hands begin to reach under Jack's mismatched clothes as his own single item of clothing was pulled off and dropped to the floor.

It wasn't long before Jack found himself just as naked and was pressed up against the front door as Bunny assaulted his neck with his lips. Slowly he moved down across his body, over his milky skin and past his nipples, down to pause briefly and tease his navel before finally dropping low enough to take Jack's swelling manhood into his mouth. He gasped and wove his fingers into Bunny's hair as he manipulated his dick with his tongue and he began to pant heavily as the man below worked his magic and made him so incredibly hard. He yipped playfully when Bunny finally pulled back and then turned him around to put his tongue to better use in Jack's butt and in what must have been milliseconds Jack began to moan loudly into the wood of the door as his face was pressed hard against it. As he was loosened up, Jack began to claw at the wood as pleasure filled his entire body and when he failed to stifle an "Oh, Bunny!" which escaped from his lips, the man pulled away, stood up and picked him up before carrying him off to bed.

Pretty soon, Jack found himself face down clutching a pillow which he moaned into earthily as Bunny rutted against him from behind. As he tilted his rear upwards letting Bunny reach around to his penis, he quickly found himself reaching his peak. Making sure to let Bunny know with a guttural "God! I'm gonna cum!" he found himself being ploughed harder than ever as Bunny raced him to the finish. Seconds later, the pair cried out as they climaxed together and, after that one brief moment of shared ecstasy, collapsed in pile with Bunny on top of Jack as they panted away their pleasure in a dreamy, exhausted haze.

After a little while, when their fervent breathing calmed down, Bunny pushed his face into the nape of Jack's neck and kissed him heavily as he gently pulled out and then turned over onto his back to lie next to his lover. A few seconds later, Jack pulled himself to lie half on top of his man and draped his arm across him before finding the sweet spot against his body. Gently nuzzling against his chin, he spoke quietly against the stubble which tickled his nose.

"We're gonna be okay, right?"

Bunny just pulled him closer. "We'll figure it out. All I know right now is I love you. I really do"

"I love you too" Jack almost whispered with his eyes closed and then remained silent as they both just lay there in each other's arms. To him it was the best place to be in the world and he knew then he never wanted to lose his place there. It just had to be his forever and he wouldn't dream of surrendering it so easily. Whatever happened, they were going to have to be together whether that meant staying in Pittsburgh or going all the way to Australia and if recent events were anything to go by, the latter seemed to be the way they were heading.

What a strange paradox it was for Jack to be both terrified and completely content at the same time.

_Presently…_

Jack smiled as he remembered that nice little bout of make-up sex. It hadn't been the first time they had used it to reaffirm their affection after a spat but it was certainly the most important. It had been from then on that they actually began to get a proper dialogue going regarding going to Australia together and although it made things easier just to be able to talk about it, Jack soon found he was making no progress in making his decision. An entire week went by without any definitive answers coming up and although he knew he had to be with Bunny he just couldn't see the process by which he could get there being at all possible.

That was until the following Saturday when once again Jack had to go to Burgess to give lessons.

_That following Saturday…_

This was probably something he wouldn't miss. Having to get up early every Saturday to take the train out of town was certainly a chore and he figured he wouldn't miss it.

Then again, not seeing the kids every week that he had grown so attached to was definitely something that would be hard to leave and he felt pretty guilty to consider that he might have to leave them. They were all so special to him in their own ways and none, of course, were more important that Jamie Bennett. As the train pulled in and he got off to walk to the boy's house, he gradually became glummer as he realized that he might never get to see Jamie again if he were to leave. He had been teaching him for years now and he had loved to watch him grow and come forward in leaps and bounds. It just didn't seem right that he would have to abandon him and it was surprising to see how much affection he had for the kid.

Climbing the steps to the porch of the Bennett household, he tentatively pressed the doorbell and then tried to affirm his stance so as not to look too blue. Putting on a smile, he did his best to look bright when the door opened and his favourite student greeted him from the other side.

"Hey, Jack" the boy said casually

"Hey yourself, squirt. How's it goin'?"

"Not bad"

"Not bad? What the heck do you have to be down about?"

"Hey, I have troubles"

Jack sniggered, "Oh, really?"

"Yeah!"

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Girls"

"Already? You're what, like, fourteen?"

"What?! Why can't I have girl trouble?"

"Man, I feel so old…"

"You are pretty old"

"Hey! I'm twenty-five!"

"So you admit it. You're an old man"

"Ugh! Don't remind me" Jack said as he was shown into the room where they regularly practiced. "Well, don't worry, bud. Girls like the arty type."

"You think?"

"I know"

"You gotten a lot of action then?"

Jack nearly choked. "Hey! Fourteen-year olds should not be concerned with…action. Get your mind out of the gutter!"

"I'll take that as a yes then" Jamie said cockily as he began to get his violin out and Jack smiled as he saw himself in the kid's expression. Perhaps the years of instruction had rubbed off on the kid in more ways than one.

"I'm here to teach. Not to give you dating tips"

"Maybe I can get mom to pay you extra"

"Music! Now!" Jack said as he bit back a chuckle and with that led into the lesson.

As the lesson progressed, Jack watched almost silently as his student of many years played on only breaking to give a note here and there. It was almost like a goodbye concert in his own mind even though nothing regarding his leaving had been set in stone as of yet. Just watching Jamie play though began to tug at his heartstrings and it only added to the multitude of reasons telling him not to leave. He hated the idea of leaving Jamie at this stage and he had never even considered that one day he might stop teaching him.

It became apparent to the young player after a while that his teacher wasn't entirely in the room as he was playing and after making several mistakes which ordinarily Jack would correct him for, he simply stopped playing mid-piece and turned to the Jack who tried to remain stoic.

"What's wrong?"

Jack was jolted out of his haze as Jamie confronted him. "Uh…nothing. You're doing well. Carry on from-"

"No. With you. Something's wrong with you"

"W…What do you mean?"

"You're being all quiet and stuff. And you're not as jumpy"

"Jumpy?"

"You know, like normal"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

Jamie just lowered his violin and gave Jack a look to show he didn't buy it. Feeling uncomfortable with lying, Jack eventually sighed and gave in.

"Alright. It's nothing to do with you though so don't worry"

"Then what is it?"

Jack didn't really know where to begin. It felt weird to talk about it with this kid and he didn't really know what he was supposed to reveal and what he was supposed to withhold.

"It's…well…I've been asked to go to Australia"

"That's pretty cool"

"Yeah, but…it's not as simple as that"

"You mean like…forever?"

"Kinda"

"Did you get a new job or something?"

"Not yet. And I'm not sure if I will"

"Then where did it all come from?"

"Well…" Jack began before closing his eyes and steadying himself. "You remember that conductor guy you met that time at the concert hall?"

"Oh yeah. He was pretty cool"

"Yeah, him"

"And he was Australian, right? Is it him taking you?"

"Yeah. Well, he's the one who asked me"

"So, are you gonna go?"

"I don't know"

"Well…why not?"

"Because it's more complicated than that"

"How come?"

"It means I have to start fresh in another place and leave everyone I know and everything I have behind. More or less"

"Oh…then don't go"

"But I kinda…need to"

"Why?"

"Because…" Jack said before pausing. He wondered if Jamie knew he was gay and, being fourteen, wondered if the kid was grown up enough to know that being gay wasn't something so terrifyingly awful to be and didn't need to be avoided at all costs. Ah, hell. Screw it. Everyone has to grow up at some point. "Because I'm involved with him" he said matter-of-factly.

"What? With that guy?" Jamie asked perplexedly.

"Yeah"

"Like…how?"

"Like…we're together. We're going out"

"Oh…" Jamie said with a look of bemusement about him. "So…you're a homo?"

"Yeah" Jack said and wondering why he suddenly felt a little nervous instead of laughing at the way Jamie labelled him. He didn't want to liken it to coming out all over again but somehow it just felt so similar. He reminded himself that he was a grownup though and wasn't going to behave stupidly regarding his sexuality. Least of all around a kid. Still, Jamie was like an old friend to him now and he really hoped he wasn't about to become averted to him.

"Do you…have a problem with that?" Jack asked after a moment.

"…No" he replied quietly. "I just never figured you would be…a homo"

"We just say gay" Jack said as a little smile crawled onto his lips. "But really nothing's different. I'm still the same guy"

"Yeah, I know. It's just…funny"

"Funny…weird?"

"No…just funny"

"Okay. Well, I'll take that as a good thing, I guess"

"Hmm…so you and that guy…he's why you're going?"

"Why I might be going, yeah" Jack said solemnly.

"Huh…do you love him?...Wait, do gays still love?"

Jack chuckled. "Yes, we still love. And yes, I love him"

"Are you gonna get married? Wait, do gays still marry?"

"Oh boy…tricky question. Well, I guess so, one day…maybe"

"Huh…well…I guess you should just go then"

"What?!" Jack asked suddenly feeling a little shocked. He didn't remember asking Jamie what he should do so it seemed a little strange that he should have been given such a simple answer straight out of the blue.

"Well, you love this guy, right? And you wanna stay with him. You should just go"

"And how do you figure that?"

"When you love someone you're just meant to do whatever it takes to stay with them. Or something. That's what mom and TV says anyway"

Jack laughed. "Well, life is a little more complicated than moms and TV"

"But you do love him, right?"

"Yeah, I do"

"Then isn't that enough to go on?"

Jack sighed as he considered those simple yet so meaningful words. It really did put it in perspective for him as he stood there looking down at the kid that never ceased to amaze him. Reaching forward and poking him in the chest, he said, "When did you get so smart?" and laughed with him as he recoiled playfully.

"I've always been smart. You're just a dumbass!"

The pair both buttoned up and turned their heads to the door when a voice came sailing through, "Language, Jamie!"

"Sorry mom" he called back before quietly sniggering with Jack out of earshot.

The rest of the lesson went swimmingly for both of them and after Jack perked up he really got down to some serious teaching. His serious teaching though was far more fun than anyone else's and by the end of the lesson the pair of them could barely stand as they laughed together.

It was kind of a shame to have to leave him that day since he really wanted to hang out some more and have some fun but he knew there were important things to deal with back in the city. Saying his goodbyes and giving Jamie a solemn thank you, he left to give his other few lessons and then zoomed back to Pittsburgh to see Bunny again.

When he arrived at the man's apartment, he didn't pause to let him realize what was happening before stating quite clearly "I think I know what I have to do".

_Presently…_

How had he possibly thought he had the answer to his problems back then? How could he have allowed himself to be deluded into thinking everything was that simple? Okay, yes, Jamie had been right in saying love was the most important thing but why couldn't he have stopped to think of everything else? What about love for his family? Love for Tooth? Love for his job? Love for his life? Yes, he loved Bunny, but going with him was stupid. It was uprooting everything he had ever known and no matter how much you love someone you should never give up everything you have and everything you believe in to be with them, right?

Or are you? This was the question Jack still had no answer to even after all this time and he was sick of debating it anymore. It was too late now anyway regardless of whether he thought he'd made the right decision or not and as he sat alone he forced out all of the worry in his mind and concentrated on what was going to happen now. To hell with all the heartache that had preceded this moment, he was going to stand by his choice and live with it. Sure, there was always going to be someone he was hurting but he figured either way he was hurting himself the most and so why care anymore? He just had to deal with what he had given himself to deal with even if it did hurt. He was a big boy, and big boys shouldn't cry.

"Ready to go?"

He startled as the soft voice that suddenly appeared next to him wrenched him from his little world of torment. Looking up into the eyes of its owner he was instantly plunged back into the realms of indecision once again and he figured he would never really be able to tell if doing what he was about to do was right.

Just looking up at that bright yet sympathetic smile made him feel okay though and as his hand was taken from his lap and he was helped to his feet, he felt himself clenching his teeth as he tried to quell the butterflies that had exploded out of nowhere in his stomach.

"Jack, what's wrong?" he was asked as he tried not to look like a nervous baby deer. It was clear that he was failing miserably "You said you were fine before we left"

Jack gently shook his head. "I don't know if this is right"

Feeling himself being pulled into the arms he had known for such a long time now, he found the comfort and strength he needed at that moment and soon began to feel as if everything was going to be alright.

"If you want to change your mind, now's the time. It's not too late"

"Isn't it?" he said as he leaned back and looked derisively at his best friend.

"No. Although, I'm pretty happy you chose to do this"

"Why? Because it means you get to keep me? Pretty selfish, wouldn't you say?"

"The hell with everyone else. You're all mine now"

"Wasn't I always yours though?"

"I can certainly think of someone who might disagree"

"But our love is quite different…I hope. Give it a chance and I guess anything is possible"

"Haha. Well, whatever anyone else says, there's no one that loves you more than me, Jacky"

"I love you too, Bun Bun" Jack said as he leaned back into the man he had chosen above all other things and kissed him gently. They lingered together for a long while as the other people in the airport continued to hurry by, not noticing them in their animated bustle.

It was a scary moment for Jack as he stood there on the cusp of beginning a completely new chapter in his life and he was frightened to move at the risk of taking his first step into oblivion. He had no idea what was waiting for him on the next page and he didn't want to think that it could be some horrible twist.

Being with Bunny though somehow made it seem safer and while he remained scared he also felt strangely supported in his nervousness and he knew that he was going to be looked after. Even if things were to come crashing down as soon as he stepped forward, Bunny was going to be there to catch him and somehow that was all he needed.

With a steadying breath, he stepped back from Bunny and stood up tall with the confidence he'd drawn from his lover firmly instilled within.

"Okay, I'm ready" he said convincingly as he picked up his violin and his bag and then took Bunny's hand before pulling him into the stream of human traffic as they walked towards their gate within the busy airport.

With that, he was gone. Jack Frost, the guy who not one year earlier had figured nobody would ever believe in him enough to give him a chance as a player, going off into the unknown with the person who had seen that shining potential within and raised him up into glory. He was taking a leap of faith with the one he loved and although he had no idea what would happen now, he felt safe and as if he were doing the right thing. He wasn't totally sure, he could never be, but being with Bunny just seemed like the path he was supposed to take and in the end he knew that the love he felt for this wonderful man was enough to show him that the future was bright regardless of what it brought – and there really was no knowing.

He was where he was meant to be. He was with the person he was meant to be with. He was believed in. He was loved. He was terrified but, without question, he was happy.

So very, very happy.

**THE END**

**And there it is. Done. Finito. El fin. **

**Or is it?**

**To epilogue…or not to epilogue? Hmm…**

**…**

**…**

**…**

**Okay, why not?**

**Now, here's an idea: I'm sure you all have ideas of what you'd like to see happen to Jack from here on out. If you review and want to let me know what you think would happen then I'd be glad to hear. I can't say I'll definitely send it that way but…who knows? Maybe Bunny and Jack will work out, maybe they won't. I haven't decided yet. Either way, I'm glad I'll be able to give them closure. I've grown pretty attached to them in my own little AU.**

**Once again, thank you all so much for reading. You're a fantastic bunch and I love you all.**

**See you in the epilogue, and don't forget: tell me what you want to happen! x**


End file.
